bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crown Rule and the Legalization of Property
Authors: Chaudhry Faisal
Published: June 2024

This chapter opens part III, turning to the period after 1858, and continues the re-examination of the colonial rule of property. It begins with key changes accompanying the Company’s dissolution as a long period of price depression lifted and the 1859 Bengal Rent Act was passed. By incorporating newly powerful lower strata into the state’s administrative reach agrarian special legislation like the 1859 Act marked a shift away from the Raj’s founding political economy of surplus extraction through the land tax. It also was indicative of a gradual internalization of property into the ontology of the legal, as the holders of landed entitlement legible to the colonial state expanded. Ultimately, these shifts yielded a new doctrinal discourse of property finally more commensurate with a notion of legal right in general, thus enabling a fuller convergence of the legal history of colonial rule with that of the Anglo-common law mainstream.
Revolutionary Diplomacy
Authors: Hirst Samuel J.
Published: June 2024

This chapter offers a broad survey of Soviet-Turkish diplomatic relations between 1919 and 1939, and it argues that Bolshevik and Kemalist elites developed a partnership with bilateral and interstate forms that carried political meaning. Allied intervention in the former Russian and Ottoman empires prompted Soviet-Turkish cooperation, which moved beyond pragmatism as it evolved in response to two alternatives. The first was cross-border initiatives beyond state control: the Russian and Ottoman imperial governments had frequently clashed, and their rivalry had involved appeals across borders to ethnic and religious groups. Between 1919 and 1921, the revolutionary elites in Moscow and Ankara agreed that suppression of conflict required them to abdicate rival claims to influence in the Caucasus and curtail ties to non-state actors abroad. Secondly, the Bolsheviks’ and the Kemalists’ bilateralism was a response to the multilateralism of liberal internationalism and the League of Nations. It was as a reaction that they pioneered non-aggression and neutrality agreements to provide a framework for economic development. The chapter tracks the relationship through the 1930s, to the breakdown of Soviet-Turkish bilateralism just as jointly built factories were opening their doors. Although bilateralism had proved a successful framework for cooperation in the context of the Paris Order of the 1920s, it lost its meaning as great power rivalry returned to the European continent.
Setting the mould
Authors: Mitra Subrata K.
Published: June 2024

The post-colonial state of India was born as a dominion in 1947; was baptized as a republic in 1950, and, took concrete organizational shape in the decade that followed. The Congress party ruled in all the States of India with a brief exception in Kerala (1957–59). This helped the union Ministry of Home Affairs elicit support of the States for major legislative initiatives like the reorganization of States, the three-language formula, and the Hindu Code Law. The 1950s witnessed the first firm steps towards building an institutional mould in which Nehru’s vision of a secular, modern, democratic, Indian state could be cast. The national leadership decisively moved towards creating a cohesive nation, territorial integration, citizenship, and economy, and public security during the foundational 1950s. Analysis of the declassified files of the Ministry of Home Affairs and its Annual Reports undertaken in this chapter shows the inner dynamic of the system.
Introduction
Authors: Magaldi Cristina
Published: June 2024

This chapter summarizes the main topics of the book and explains their rationale in lieu of existing scholarship. It introduces Rio de Janeiro as a city connected to many other contemporary growing cities, approaching it as much as, or perhaps more so, from the outside in than from within its sociohistorical and cultural contexts The chapter presents the many protagonists that become part of the book’s narrative, the contexts in which they operated, and how they shaped the modern city in conjunction with musicians and audiences from a number of other contemporary cities both near and far. The chapter suggests the use of “cultural cosmopolitanism” as a term with ramifications that go beyond various frameworks already in use in music scholarship to tackle the outcomes of the widespread circulation of music and culture at the turn of the 20th century.
A Tale of Three Anthems
Authors: Magaldi Cristina
Published: June 2024

The chapter discusses ways in which music was used to invoke communal participation in the republican cause and posits that both an imperial anthem by Francisco Manuel da Silva and “La Marseillaise” served that purpose. It explores the local discussions about how a new anthem should represent a republican nation and the failed attempt to adopt Leopoldo Miguez’s work as a new anthem for the country. The chapter considers the ramifications of cosmopolitan sociopolitical engagements through singing and listening across geographical distances before the advent of recordings and the radio. It suggests that songs that cross boundaries rely on communal singing and listening, while fostering cross-border musical communities that are both inclusive and exclusive.
Sounds of Urban Worlds
Authors: Magaldi Cristina
Published: June 2024

This chapter focuses on the composer Aurélio Cavalcanti. A main figure in Rio de Janeiro’s entertainment venues, he worked as a pianist in salons, dance halls, and movie theater waiting rooms, and as a musical director and conductor of one of the most prestigious movie theater orchestras. Cavalcanti had the experience and creativity to instantly adapt many musics to the fast-moving scenes of silent movies, a skill that he used to write music suggestive of many peoples and places, even if he had never met the people or had never been to the places that his works were set to portray. Cavalcanti wrote waltzes and polkas that became local staples during his time; they had suggestive titles that served to project imaginations of places beyond the city through music. The chapter also traces the arrival and dominance of the cakewalk in Rio de Janeiro and explores how the dance served to articulate both Parisian fashionable trends and African-derived cultures within complex racialized cosmopolitan urban networks.
Conclusion
Authors: Magaldi Cristina
Published: June 2024

The Conclusion shows that the inauguration of the Theatro Municipal in 1909 was a crowning event at the closing of the first decade of the 20th century. The project took several years to come to fruition, but when the theater was finally opened, it represented the consolidation of an imagined future that was now concrete but already past. The section shows that chroniclers like João do Rio and Lima Barreto provided different views of the new theater’s role in the new city. Like many similar buildings around the world, the theater’s hermetically closed neoclassical walls were also soundproof to the city outside, which continued to echo an ever-changing musical world soon to be dominated by the sounds of a world war.
Autism and immigration, is there a link? Results from a Manitoba Study
Authors: Ricci M Florencia , Phung Ryan , Zwaigenbaum Lonnie , Hanlon-Dearman Ana , Burns Jessy , Narvey Stefanie , Urquia Marcelo L
Published: June 2024

Objectives

To examine a possible association between parental immigration and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Manitoba, Canada.

Methods

Electronic medical records of children diagnosed with ASD between 2016 and 2021 at Manitoba’s only publicly funded referral site for ASD evaluation in children ≤6 years of age were reviewed. Children born in or outside of Canada whose parents/guardians (one or both) were foreign-born were identified to have ‘immigrant’ parents. The proportion of Manitoba’s immigrant population (including non-permanent residents) was obtained from 2016 to 2021 Census data and compared to the proportion of children diagnosed with ASD who had immigrant parent(s). Descriptive statistics were used to compare the characteristics of children with ASD born to immigrants versus non-immigrant parents.

Results

Among 1858 children diagnosed with ASD during the study period, 669 (36%) had immigrant parents. This proportion was greater than the proportion of immigrants (and non-permanent residents) living in Manitoba in 2016: 243,835/1,278,365 (19%, P < 0.001) and 2021: 291,910/1,342,153 (21.7%, P < 0.001). Those with immigrant parents had a lower rate of family history of ASD (16.3% versus 33.3% P < 0.001), and associated neurologic comorbidities (4.2% versus 6.4% P: 0.047). There were no statistical differences in rates of preterm birth (15.5% versus 12.36 P: 0.152) or use of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 in diagnostic approach (30.3% versus 33% P: 0.321) between groups.

Conclusions

There is an over-representation of immigrant families among young children diagnosed with ASD in Manitoba. Further studies are needed to understand mechanisms that may play a role in this association.
Development of a mindfulness-based intervention for narcolepsy: a feasibility study
Authors: Mundt Jennifer M , Zee Phyllis C , Schuiling Matthew D , Hakenjos Alec J , Victorson David E , Fox Rina S , Dawson Spencer C , Rogers Ann E , Ong Jason C
Published: June 2024

Study Objectives

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have been shown to improve psychosocial functioning in medical populations but have not been studied in narcolepsy. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of an MBI that was adapted for narcolepsy, including three variations in program length.

Methods

Adults with narcolepsy (N = 60) were randomized to MBI groups of varying durations: brief (4 weeks), standard (8 weeks), or extended (12 weeks). Participants completed assessments at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. To assess feasibility and acceptability, primary outcomes included attendance, meditation practice, and data completeness. Additionally, participants completed measures of mindfulness, self-compassion, mood, sleep, psychosocial functioning, and cognition. An effect size of Cohen’s d ≥ 0.5 was used as the prespecified benchmark for a minimal clinically important difference (MCID).

Results

The attendance, meditation, and data completeness benchmarks were met by 71.7%, 61.7%, and 78.3% of participants, respectively. Higher proportions of the brief and extended groups met these benchmarks compared to the standard group. All groups met the MCID for mindfulness, self-compassion, self-efficacy for managing emotions, positive psychosocial impact, global mental health, and fatigue. Standard and extended groups met the MCID for anxiety and depression, and extended groups met the MCID for additional measures including social and cognitive functioning, daytime sleepiness, hypersomnia symptoms, and hypersomnia-related functioning.

Conclusions

Results suggest that the remote delivery and data collection methods are feasible to employ in future clinical trials, and it appears that the extended MBI provides the most favorable clinical impact while maintaining attendance and engagement in meditation practice.

Clinical Trial Registration

Awareness and Self-Compassion Enhancing Narcolepsy Treatment (ASCENT), NCT04306952, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04306952
Natural variation in neuraminidase activity influences the evolutionary potential of the seasonal H1N1 lineage hemagglutinin
Authors: Liu Tongyu , Reiser William K , Tan Timothy J C , Lv Huibin , Rivera-Cardona Joel , Heimburger Kyle , Wu Nicholas C , Brooke Christopher B
Published: June 2024

The antigenic evolution of the influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA) gene poses a major challenge for the development of vaccines capable of eliciting long-term protection. Prior efforts to understand the mechanisms that govern viral antigenic evolution mainly focus on HA in isolation, ignoring the fact that HA must act in concert with the viral neuraminidase (NA) during replication and spread. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the degree to which the receptor-binding avidity of HA and receptor-cleaving activity of NA are balanced with each other influences overall viral fitness. We recently showed that changes in NA activity can significantly alter the mutational fitness landscape of HA in the context of a lab-adapted virus strain. Here, we test whether natural variation in relative NA activity can influence the evolutionary potential of HA in the context of the seasonal H1N1 lineage (pdmH1N1) that has circulated in humans since the 2009 pandemic. We observed substantial variation in the relative activities of NA proteins encoded by a panel of H1N1 vaccine strains isolated between 2009 and 2019. We comprehensively assessed the effect of NA background on the HA mutational fitness landscape in the circulating pdmH1N1 lineage using deep mutational scanning and observed pronounced epistasis between NA and residues in or near the receptor-binding site of HA. To determine whether NA variation could influence the antigenic evolution of HA, we performed neutralizing antibody selection experiments using a panel of monoclonal antibodies targeting different HA epitopes. We found that the specific antibody escape profiles of HA were highly contingent upon NA background. Overall, our results indicate that natural variation in NA activity plays a significant role in governing the evolutionary potential of HA in the currently circulating pdmH1N1 lineage.
Plant-Guided Microbiome Selection Produces Transient Effects on Insect Performance and Rhizosphere Community Assembly
Authors: Enders Laramy , French Elizabeth , Kjeldgaard MacKenzie , Tronson Emily , Kaplan Ian
Published: June 2024

Microbial communities are essential for plant health, but using these relationships to enhance growth and pest protection is challenging. Leveraging the natural mechanisms plants employ to manage relationships with microbes is one promising means to selectively engineer whole microbial communities with beneficial properties. This approach, known as host-guided selection, has been successful in some model species targeting performance traits (e.g., biomass). However, few studies use crop plants or focus on defensive traits (e.g., pest resistance). Our goal was to naturally engineer tomato root-associated microbiomes that increase resistance to insect pests. First, we used an iterative soil microbial inoculation process to engineer insect-suppressive rhizosphere soil microbiomes that reduce damage from aphid feeding ( Macrosiphum euphorbiae) or caterpillar defoliation ( Manduca sexta, Spodoptera exigua). We then characterized the bacterial and fungal microbial communities of soils associated with differences in insect performance using metabarcoding approaches. Overall, soil microbiome selection produced transient differences in aphid performance, but caterpillar growth was unaffected. In four of nine generations, the aphid population growth rate was significantly lower on plants with rhizospheres selected for “low” insect performance, where abundance was reduced by up to 20%. Correspondingly minor shifts in fungal and bacterial relative abundance occurred in insect-suppressive communities. However, network analysis indicated that aphid feeding disrupted rhizosphere microbiome assembly, resulting in lower community complexity and connectivity and fewer structurally important taxa compared with uninfested controls. Overall, our results highlight critical factors for successful engineering of beneficial microbiomes, particularly insect feeding guild and microbial community stability.
School Readiness Predictors of Early Academic Achievement in Children Born Very Preterm
Authors: Taylor H. Gerry , Benkart Rebekah A. , Vrantsidis Daphne M. , Quach Jessica , Busch Tyler A. , Horn Timothy , Neel Mary Lauren , Maitre Nathalie L.
Published: June 2024

Objective:

This study examined associations of school readiness measures obtained before school entry with academic achievement at early school age in children born very preterm (VPT, gestational age ≤ 30 weeks) and children born full term (FT, GA ≥ 37 weeks).

Method:

The sample included 38 children born VPT and 30 born FT recruited at age 4 years and followed to early school age. Measures of readiness included tests of global cognition, executive function, motor abilities, and preacademic skills, as well as caregiver behavior ratings. Tests of math, reading, and spelling were administered to assess school-age achievement. Analyses that controlled for socioeconomic status and accounted for inclusion of siblings compared the groups on the achievement tests and identified measures of readiness related to school-age achievement.

Results:

Achievement difficulties were more pronounced in the VPT group and associated with problems in multiple readiness domains. Effect sizes for these associations were largest for measures of spatial ability, executive function, and preacademic skills. Some associations remained significant when controlling for global cognitive ability at age 4 years, and others were significant only for the VPT group.

Conclusion:

Findings suggest that deficits on tests in multiple readiness domains assessed before school entry in children born VPT or FT are associated with early school-age achievement. The most pronounced readiness deficits in the VPT group at age 4 years were also among those most closely associated with later difficulties in achievement. Further research is needed to refine assessment of school readiness in children born VPT.
Understanding the Mechanical Forces on the Sacrum Can Help Optimize Flap-based Pilonidal Sinus Reconstruction
Authors: Kaneyuku Shintaro , Dohi Teruyuki , Hammoudeh Diya′ S. , Eura Shigeyoshi , Kurokawa Yuta , Ogawa Rei
Published: June 2024

Background:

Pilonidal sinus can be treated with excision and flap reconstruction, but treatment is often complicated by wound dehiscence, infection, and recurrence. Understanding the mechanical forces on the sacrococcygeal area during posture change could help guide optimal flap choice.

Methods:

Sixteen volunteers underwent measurements of skin-stretching, pressure, and shear stress on the sacrum when sitting relative to standing. Skin-stretching was measured by drawing a 4 × 4 cm square on the sacrum and measuring the vertical, horizontal, and diagonal axes. Pressure and shear stress was measured at six sacral points with a device. The data analysis highlighted the potential of the superior gluteal artery perforator (SGAP) flap for dissipating mechanical forces. Ten pilonidal sinus cases treated with SGAP flaps were retrospectively reviewed for 6-month outcomes.

Results:

Sitting is associated with high stretching tension in the horizontal direction [estimated marginal mean (95% confidence intervals) = 17.3% (15.4%–22.6%)]. The lower sacrum experienced the highest pressure [106.6 (96.6–116.5) mm Hg] and shear stress [11.6 (9.7–13.5) N] during sitting. The transposed SGAP flap was deemed to be optimal for releasing the horizontal tension and providing sufficient subcutaneous tissue for ameliorating pressure/shear stress during sitting. It also has high blood flow and can therefore be used with large lesions. Moreover, its donor site is above the high-pressure/stress lower sacrum. Retrospective analysis showed that no patients experienced complications.

Conclusions:

Sitting is associated with high mechanical forces on the sacrococcygeal skin. The transposed SGAP flap may ameliorate these forces and thereby reduce the risk of complications of pilonidal sinus reconstruction for large defects.
Association Between Cardiovascular Health and Cirrhosis and Mortality
Authors: Yu Ziqing , Yan Xuemin , Bai Xiaoyin , Ruan Gechong , Han Wei , Shu Huijun , Yang Hong
Published: June 2024

Goal:

We aim to explore the relationship between the newly introduced CVH indicator “Life’s Essential 8 (LE8)” and cirrhosis.

Background:

The global burden of cirrhosis is increasing, with a rising number of deaths, leading to significant societal and economic challenges. Cardiovascular health (CVH) has been found to have potential associations with liver diseases.

Materials and Methods:

All participants aged 20 and older from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005 to 2018 were included. CVH was accessed by LE8, consisting of 4 health behaviors (diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, and sleep health) and 4 health factors (body mass index, lipid levels, blood sugar, and blood pressure). Cirrhosis was determined based on abnormal liver function test results, with an aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index >2. Participants’ mortality status was obtained by matching with the National Death Index and all-cause mortality served as the follow-up endpoint.

Results:

This extensive cross-sectional study reveals that LE8 was not associated with cirrhosis. A higher health behaviors score was associated with lower cirrhosis. Moreover, there is an inverse U-shaped relationship between the LE8 score and all-cause mortality in participants with cirrhosis, signifying a decrease in all-cause mortality when LE8 surpasses 60. A greater health behaviors score is linked to a decreased proportion of all-cause mortality in cirrhosis patients.

Conclusion:

Maintaining better health behaviors may be beneficial for cirrhosis, especially through a balanced diet, regular exercise, smoking cessation, and quality sleep.
Orthotist involvement in early gait rehabilitation after stroke: A cross-sectional survey of orthotists in the United Kingdom
Authors: Golding-Day Miriam , Young Joshua , Charlton Paul , Houston Brian , Thomas Shirley , Walker Marion
Published: June 2024

Background:

The role of the orthotist in early gait rehabilitation after stroke in the United Kingdom is currently poorly understood.

Objectives:

The objective of this study was to capture current opinion and practice of orthotists on their role in early stroke gait rehabilitation in the United Kingdom.

Methods:

An anonymous web-based cross-sectional survey was developed and distributed to Health and Care Professions Council–registered orthotists by the mailing list of the British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists professional body in the United Kingdom. Survey items were multiple-choice, Likert scale, or open-ended questions to explore the experiences and opinions of orthotists in early poststroke gait rehabilitation.

Results:

Responses were received from 56 participants. Orthotists reported having regular contact with patients who had a stroke within their usual clinical caseload. Multidisciplinary care was not typical with 46% respondents “rarely” seeing patients who had a stroke in joint assessment with another clinician. Confidence in managing lower limb gait difficulties was high, with 89% of orthotists feeling able to recommend a lower limb orthotic treatment. Ninety-eight percent (n = 55) of respondents agreed that orthotic assessment should be an essential element of gait re-education after stroke; however, orthotists reported limited involvement within early stroke rehabilitation.

Conclusion:

UK orthotists surveyed in this study report that orthotic treatment is an important aspect of early gait rehabilitation after stroke. Respondents report barriers to multidisciplinary working, which may affect outcomes in this patient group.
Testing personality—pace-of-life associations via artificial selection: insights from selected lines of rainbow trout on the context-dependence of correlations
Authors: Biro Peter A.
Published: June 2024

More than a decade of study since the personality pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypotheses were first proposed, there is little support for it within species. Lack of experimental control, insufficient sampling in the face of highly labile behavioural and metabolic traits, and context dependency of trait correlations are suggested as reasons. Here, I argue that artificial selection and/or use of existing selected lines represents a powerful but under-used approach to furthering our understanding of the POLS. To illustrate this potential, I conducted a focussed review of studies that compared the behaviour, metabolism, growth and survival of an artificially selected fast-growing rainbow trout relative to wild unselected strains, under varying food and risk conditions in the laboratory and field. Resting metabolic rate, food intake, and behaviours that enhance feeding but increase energy expenditure (activity, aggression, boldness), were all higher in the fast strain in paired contrasts, under all food and risk conditions, both in the laboratory and the field. Fast-strain fish grew faster in almost every food and risk situation except where food was highly limited (or absent), had higher survival under low or zero predation risk, but had lower survival under high risk. Several other traits rarely considered in POLS studies were also higher in the fast strain, including maximum swimming speed, and hormones (growth hormone (GH), thyroid hormone (T3) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)). I conclude: (i) assumptions and predictions of the POLS hypothesis are well supported, and (ii) context-dependency was largely absent, but when present revealed trade-offs between food acquisition and predation risk. This focused review highlights the potential of artificial selection in testing POLS ideas, and will hopefully motivate further studies using other animals.
Shape change in the saddle region of the equine back during trot and walk
Authors: Smirnova Kristina P. , Frill Michael A. , Warner Sharon E. , Cheney Jorn A.
Published: June 2024

Equine back pain is prevalent among ridden horses and is often attributed to poor saddle fit. An alternative explanation is that saddle fits are technically good but fit to the wrong configuration. Saddles are fit for the standing horse, but much of the time ridden is instead spent locomoting when the back experiences the greatest peak forces. We used an array of cameras to reconstruct the surface of the back and its movement during trot, walk and standing for five horses. We verified the setup’s accuracy by reconstructing a laser-scanned life-sized model horse. Our reconstructions demonstrate that saddles sit within a large, relatively low-mobile region of the back. However, saddles do sit adjacent to the highly mobile withers, which demands care in positioning and design around this important region. Critically, we identified that saddle curvature between standing and moving horses is substantially different, where trotting and walking horses have flatter backs than their standing configurations. Saddles designed around the locomoting configuration of horses may improve horse welfare by being better fit and decreasing the focal pressures applied by saddles.
Leak-resilient enzyme-free nucleic acid dynamical systems through shadow cancellation
Authors: Nagipogu Rajiv Teja , Reif John H.
Published: June 2024

DNA strand displacement (DSD) emerged as a prominent reaction motif for engineering nucleic acid-based computational devices with programmable behaviours. However, strand displacement circuits are susceptible to background noise, known as leaks, which disrupt their intended function. The ill effects of leaks are particularly severe in circuits with complex dynamics, as leaks in them amplify nonlinearly, resulting in rapid circuit degradation. Shadow cancellation is a dynamic leak-elimination strategy originally proposed to control the leak growth in such circuits. However, the kinetic restrictions of the method incur a significant design overhead, making it less accessible. In this work, we use domain-level DSD simulations to examine the method’s capabilities, the inner workings of its components and, most importantly, its robustness to the practical deviations in its design requirements. First, we show that the method could stabilize the dynamics of several catalytic and autocatalytic dynamical systems heavily affected by leaks. Then, through several probing experiments, we show that its design restrictions could be significantly relaxed without impacting the circuit function by simply adjusting the circuit parameters. Finally, we discuss several ideas to tackle the practical challenges in applying the method to arbitrary DSD circuits, paving the way for future experimental work.
Identification of the modulatory Ca
2+
-binding sites of acid-sensing ion channel 1a
Authors: Molton Ophélie , Bignucolo Olivier , Kellenberger Stephan
Published: June 2024

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are neuronal Na
+
-permeable ion channels activated by extracellular acidification. ASICs are involved in learning, fear sensing, pain sensation and neurodegeneration. Increasing the extracellular Ca
2+
concentration decreases the H
+
sensitivity of ASIC1a, suggesting a competition for binding sites between H
+
and Ca
2+
ions. Here, we predicted candidate residues for Ca
2+
binding on ASIC1a, based on available structural information and our molecular dynamics simulations. With functional measurements, we identified several residues in cavities previously associated with pH-dependent gating, whose mutation reduced the modulation by extracellular Ca
2+
of the ASIC1a pH dependence of activation and desensitization. This occurred probably owing to a disruption of Ca
2+
binding. Our results link one of the two predicted Ca
2+
-binding sites in each ASIC1a acidic pocket to the modulation of channel activation. Mg
2+
regulates ASICs in a similar way as does Ca
2+
. We show that Mg
2+
shares some of the binding sites with Ca
2+
. Finally, we provide evidence that some of the ASIC1a Ca
2+
-binding sites are functionally conserved in the splice variant ASIC1b. Our identification of divalent cation-binding sites in ASIC1a shows how Ca
2+
affects ASIC1a gating, elucidating a regulatory mechanism present in many ion channels.
Empirically testing a relationship between cooperation and the prime numbers
Authors: Johnson Tim
Published: June 2024

Theoretical models suggest a relationship between cooperation and the prime numbers. In environments where agents play multiple one-shot prisoner’s dilemma games per generation, cooperators evolve to fixation more frequently when cooperating on a cyclical schedule with a prime-number period length. This finding parrots classic predator–prey models showing selection for prime-number prey life cycles. Here, I report an empirical test of the former models using previously published data concerning humans playing one-shot public goods games across multiple time points—i.e. an analogue to multiple one-shot prisoner’s dilemma games. I find very modest evidence of cyclicality at prime-numbered time intervals, though results indicate rough agreement between theoretical predictions and observed rates of full cooperation across time points. Analyses of individual decisions find increased contributions to the public good at prime-number time points and separate placebo tests indicate a 4-in-1000 chance of spuriously estimating this effect. However, when exploratory analyses exclude low-value prime-numbered time points, the magnitude of the estimated effect decreases and the hypothesis of no effect cannot be rejected, implying that low-value, prime-number time points drive estimates, contrary to theoretical model predictions. These findings cast doubt on the hypothesis of increased cooperation at prime-number time points—at least among humans playing public goods games.
Combining three-dimensional acoustic coring and a convolutional neural network to quantify species contributions to benthic ecosystems
Authors: Mizuno Katsunori , Terayama Kei , Ishida Shoichi , Godbold Jasmin A. , Solan Martin
Published: June 2024

The seafloor is inhabited by a large number of benthic invertebrates, and their importance in mediating carbon mineralization and biogeochemical cycles is recognized. However, the majority of fauna live below the sediment surface, so most means of survey rely on destructive sampling methods that are limited to documenting species presence rather than event driven activity and functionally important aspects of species behaviour. We have developed and tested a laboratory-based three-dimensional acoustic coring system that is capable of non-invasively visualizing the presence and activity of invertebrates within the sediment matrix. Here, we present reconstructed three-dimensional acoustic images of the sediment profile, with strong backscatter revealing the presence and position of individual benthic organisms. These data were used to train a three-dimensional convolutional neural network model and, using a combination of data augmentation and data correction techniques, we were able to identify individual species with an 88% accuracy. Combining three-dimensional acoustic coring with deep learning forms an effective and non-invasive means of providing detailed mechanistic information of
in situ
species–sediment interactions, opening new opportunities to quantify species-specific contributions to ecosystems.
Actinotalea lenta sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from tidal flat sediment
Authors: Lu Chun-Yan , Yue Ling-Xiang , Li Shuai , Zheng Zhuo-Huan , Lian Wen-Hui , Fang Bao-Zhu , Zhao Guo-Zhen , Dong Lei , Li Wen-Jun
Published: June 2024

Two Gram-stain-positive, aerobic, oxidase- and catalase-negative, non-motile, and short rod-shaped actinomycetes, named SYSU T00b441T and SYSU T00b490, were isolated from tidal flat sediment located in Guangdong province, PR China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between SYSU T00b441T and SYSU T00b490 were 99.3, 99.5 and 97.1 %, respectively. Strains SYSU T00b441T and SYSU T00b490 exhibited the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to Actinotalea ferrariae CF 5-4T (97.1 %/98.2 %), with ANI values of 74.01/73.88 % and dDDH values of 20.5/20.4 %. In the phylogenomic tree, the two isolates were affiliated with the genus Actinotalea. The genomes of strains SYSU T00b441T and SYSU T00b490 were 3.31 and 3.34 Mb, and both had DNA G+C contents of 72.8 mol%, coding 3077 and 3085 CDSs, three and three rRNA genes, and 53 and 51 tRNAs, respectively. Growth occurred at 15–40 °C (optimum, 28–30 °C), pH 4.0–10.0 (optimum, 7.0) and in the presence of 0–7 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3 %). The major fatty acids (>10  %) of strains SYSU T00b441T and SYSU T00b490 were anteiso-C15 : 0 and C16 : 0. The major respiratory quinone was identified as MK-10(H4). The polar lipids of strains SYSU T00b441T and SYSU T00b490 were diphosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphoglycolipid, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, two phosphatidylinositol mannosides, two glycolipids and two phospholipids. Based on these data, the two strains (SYSU T00b441T and SYSU T00b490) represent a novel species of the genus Actinotalea, for which the name Actinotalea lenta sp. nov is proposed. The type strain is SYSU T00b441T (=GDMCC 1.3827T=KCTC 49943T).
The catalyst of change in small and micro enterprises: how intellectual capital uses dynamic capabilities to foster innovation
Authors: Hu Yelin , Liu Meiyu , Li Haiyan
Published: June 2024

Purpose

This study explores the relationship between intellectual capital and innovation in small and micro enterprises (SMEs) and analyses the mediating effect of dynamic ability on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a questionnaire survey to obtain research data on intellectual capital and innovation in 290 SMEs in the Jiangsu and Shandong provinces of China. The impact of intellectual capital on the innovation of SMEs is tested using hierarchical regression analysis in SPSS 22.0. The effect of intellectual capital on the innovation of these enterprises was examined using the SPSS PROCESS macro version 3.3.

Findings

The findings reveal that intellectual capital not only directly promotes innovation inputs, patent applications, and innovation income but also indirectly fosters innovation by enhancing dynamic capabilities.

Originality/value

This study not only deepens the understanding of intellectual capital and its role in SME innovation but also further elucidates the intermediary role of dynamic capabilities and the differences in the impact of various dimensions of intellectual capital on innovation. Theoretically, it provides new evidence for the application of intellectual capital theory in the field of innovation research. Practically, it provides empirical evidence to further harness the role of intellectual capital in driving innovation in SMEs.
The treatment effect of endovascular therapy for chronic limb‐threatening ischemia with systemic sclerosis
Authors: Matsuda Yoshihiro , Miyake Tomoko , Toda Hironobu , Tachibana Kota , Nomura Hayato , Hirai Yoji , Kawakami Yoshio , Sakoda Naoya , Morizane Shin
Published: June 2024

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a collagen disease with immune abnormalities, vasculopathy, and fibrosis. Ca blockers and prostaglandins are used to treat peripheral circulatory disturbances. Chronic limb‐threatening ischemia (CLTI) is a disease characterized by extremity ulcers, necrosis, and pain due to limb ischemia. Since only a few patients present with coexistence of CLTI and SSc, the treatment outcomes of revascularization in these cases are unknown. In this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of seven patients with CLTI and SSc, and 35 patients with uncomplicated CLTI who were hospitalized from 2012 to 2022. A higher proportion of patients with uncomplicated CLTI had diabetes and male. There were no significant differences in the age at which ischemic ulceration occurred, other comorbidities, or in treatments, including antimicrobial agents, revascularization and amputation, improvement of pain, and the survival time from ulcer onset between the two subgroups. EVT or amputation was performed in six or two of the seven patients with CLTI and SSc, respectively. Among those who underwent EVT, 33% (2/6) achieved epithelialization and 67% (4/6) experienced pain relief. These results suggest that the revascularization in cases with CLTI and SSc should consider factors such as infection and general condition, since revascularization improve the pain of these patients.
Assessing teachers' fire security knowledge, training effectiveness and attitudinal changes: a cross‐sectional study in Turkey
Authors: Yaman Sevda , Kiliç Mahmut , Turgutlu Kemal Ferit
Published: June 2024

The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge level of teachers about basic fire and extinguishing and the effectiveness of the fire training received. This is a cross‐sectional study. The research population comprises teachers employed in educational institutions affiliated with the Ministry of National Education (MNE) in Konya, Turkey, during the year 2021. The sample of this research consisted of 2649 participants who voluntarily agreed to participate in the research and answered all questions completely. Data were collected from the questionnaire forms prepared by the researchers by examining the literature in the electronic environment via Google Forms. Of the participants, 53.7% were women, 39.8% were between the ages of 35 and 44 and 93.0% were working as teachers. The fire safety knowledge score is higher for those who attended the fire training. While the fire knowledge score increased as the end‐of‐training attainment score increased in those receiving fire training, no significant relationship was found between the education environment and content score, the educator effectiveness score, the status of having a fire extinguishing task and having encountered a fire and this score. Teachers' fire safety knowledge score is higher and at a moderate level compared to the attitude score. Participating in fire education positively affects both knowledge and attitude toward fire.
News Bias in Financial Journalists’ Social Networks
Authors: XU GUOSONG
Published: June 2024

Connected financial journalists—those with working relationships, common school ties, or social media connections to company management—introduce a marked media slant into their news coverage. Using a comprehensive set of newspaper articles covering mergers and acquisition (M&A) transactions from 1997 to 2016, I find that connected journalists use significantly fewer negative words in their coverage of connected acquirers. These journalists are also more likely to quote connected executives and include less accurate language in their reporting. Moreover, they tend to portray other firms in the same network in a less negative light. Journalists’ favoritism bias has implications for both capital market outcomes and their careers. I find that acquirers whose M&As are covered by connected journalists receive significantly higher stock returns on the news article publication date. However, these acquirers’ stock prices reverse in the long term, suggesting market overreaction to news covered by connected journalists. Around M&A transactions, connected articles are correlated with increased bid competition and deal premiums. In terms of future career development, connected journalists are more likely to leave journalism and join their associated industries in the long run. Taken together, the evidence suggests that financial journalists’ personal networks promote news bias that potentially hinders the efficient dissemination of information.
The European Union's support of the implementation of the peace process in Colombia
Authors: Polack Alexandre
Published: June 2024

The Peace Agreement in Colombia signed on September 27, 2016 ended one of the deadliest armed conflicts in Latin America, which lasted for half a century. The agreement is an effective peacemaking and peacebuilding model because it tackles the conflict's root causes and the process is led by Colombians. The actors of the conflict perceived the international community and the European Union's support as extremely positive because it remained consistent, combined political and financial support, and supported Colombian‐led policies. The EU's support for the peace process is also an excellent example of a match between the Colombia's demands for support and the tailor‐made support offered by the EU. Moving forward, key challenges are for Colombian authorities to continue accelerating the agreement's implementation—instead of reinventing the wheel after each presidential election—and for the international community to continue providing consistent political and financial support while prioritizing empowerment of local actors.
Integrating counts from rigorous surveys and participatory science to better understand spatiotemporal variation in population processes
Authors: Zhao Qing , Latif Quresh S. , Nuse Bryan L. , Pavlacky David C. , Kilner Christopher L. , Ryder T. Brandt , Latimer Christopher E.
Published: June 2024

Knowledge of variation in population processes (e.g. population growth) across broad spatiotemporal scales is fundamental to population ecology and critical for conservation decision‐making. Count data from rigorous surveys (e.g. surveys with probabilistic sampling design and distance sampling information) can inform population processes but are often limited in space and time. Participatory science data cover broader spatiotemporal extents but are prone to bias due to limited to no sampling design and lack of distance sampling information, hindering their capability of informing population processes.

Here, we developed an integrated dynamic N‐mixture model that jointly analyses rigorous survey and participatory science data to inform population growth at broad spatiotemporal extents. The model contains a flexible scaling parameter that allows fixed and random effects to account for biases and errors in participatory science data. We conducted simulations to evaluate the inference performance of this model across a broad range of spatial and temporal overlap between rigorous survey and participatory science data. We also conducted a case study of Baird's Sparrow (Centronyx bairdii), a species of conservation concern, to illustrate the application of the integrated model with rigorous survey data from the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions programme and participatory science North American Breeding Bird Survey and eBird data.

Simulations showed that the integrated model improved precision without biasing parameter estimates, in comparison with a model informed by rigorous survey data alone. The case study further demonstrated the utility of the integrated model for quantifying range‐wide, long‐term population processes and environmental drivers despite limited spatiotemporal extent of rigorous survey data. In particular, we found that population growth rate peaked under medium temperature, which were only apparent in the integrated model.

The integrated model developed in this study is useful for understanding wildlife population processes at broad spatiotemporal scales with count data. The flexible structure of this model, in particular the scaling parameter, makes it highly adaptable to a broad range of ecological systems and survey procedures. These properties make this modelling approach highly relevant for both population ecology and conservation practice.
Inter‐observer reproducibility of the 2021 AAGL Endometriosis Classification
Authors: Mak Jason Nicholas , Uzuner Cansu , Espada Mercedes , Eathorn Allie , Reid Shannon , Leonardi Mathew , Armour Mike , Condous George Stanley
Published: June 2024

Background

Inter‐observer agreement for the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL) 2021 Endometriosis Classification staging system has not been described. Its predecessor staging system, the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine (rASRM), has historically demonstrated poor inter‐observer agreement.

Aims

We aimed to determine the inter‐observer agreement performance of the AAGL 2021 Endometriosis Classification staging system, and compare this with the rASRM staging system.

Materials and Methods

A database of 317 patients with coded surgical data was retrospectively analysed. Three independent observers allocated AAGL surgical stages (1–4), twice. Observers made their own interpretation of how to apply the tool in the first staging allocation. Consensus rules were then developed for a second staging allocation.

Results

First staging allocation: odds ratio (OR) (and 95% CI) for observer 1 to score higher than observer 2 was 8.08 (5.12–12.76). Observer 1 to score higher than observer 3 was 12.98 (7.99–21.11) and observer 2 to score higher than observer 3 was 1.61 (1.03–2.51). This represents poor agreement. Second staging allocation (after consensus): OR for observer 1 to score higher than observer 2 was 1.14 (0.64–2.03), observer 1 to score higher than observer 3 was 1.81 (0.99–3.28) and observer 2 to score higher than observer 3 was 1.59 (0.87–2.89). This represents good agreement.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that in its current format the AAGL 2021 Endometriosis Classification staging system has poor inter‐observer agreement, not superior to the rASRM staging system. However, performance improved when additional measures were taken to simplify and clarify areas of ambiguity in interpreting the staging system.