bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understory plant communities fail to recover species diversity after excluding deer for nearly 20 years
Authors: Knauer Aaron , Betras Tiffany , Royo Alejandro A. , Diggins Thomas P. , Carson Walter P.
Published: March 2023

White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) have been overabundant in eastern North America for more than five decades, resulting in depauperate understories and ricocheting effects on higher trophic levels. Even after deer populations are reduced, understory plant communities may fail to recover for an unknown length of time due to persistent legacy effects. We surveyed understory plant communities in six deer exclosures and paired reference plots in northwestern Pennsylvania to determine the degree to which 19 years of deer exclusion was sufficient for recovery of species richness, diversity, percent cover, and understory structural complexity. We observed a 2.3-fold increase in tree cover and a 60% reduction in fern cover in the ground layer, as well as a 114-fold increase in foliage density between 80 and 200 cm above ground level, in exclosures compared to reference plots. However, the exclosures did not permanently support higher overall percent cover, species richness, or diversity in the ground layer, nor did we detect any meaningful divergence in community composition between exclosures and reference plots. We conclude that 19 years of release from chronic over-browsing are sufficient to restore understory structural complexity, but recovery of diversity in the ground layer will require more time or direct intervention.
On the origin of the holographic universe
Authors: Sheikhahmadi Haidar
Published: March 2023

In this work, we reexamine the holographic dark energy concept proposed already for cosmological applications. By considering, more precisely, the bounds on the entropy arising from lattice field theory on one side and Bekenstein–Hawking entropy of black holes on another side, it is shown that the so-called holographic dark energy cannot be mimicked as easily as claimed in the literature. In addition, the limits on the electron [Formula: see text] experiments are taken into account again. It is shown that the corrections to the electron magnetic momentum are of the order of [Formula: see text].
Quantum chaos and Hénon–Heiles model: Dirac’s variational approach with Jackiw–Kerman function
Authors: Ho Choon-Lin , Chou Chung-I
Published: March 2023

A simple semiclassical Hénon–Heiles model is constructed based on Dirac’s time-dependent variational principle. We obtain an effective semiclassical Hamiltonian using a Hartree-type two-body trial wave function in the Jackiw–Kerman form. Numerical results show that quantum effects can in fact induce chaos in the nonchaotic regions of the classical Hénon–Heiles model.
A LINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE CONCEPT OF "RESEARCH-BASED SOCIAL WORK"
Authors: HÄMÄLÄINEN JUHA
Published: March 2023

Research in social work today is extensive and diverse, which is why it is justified to illuminate the concept of "research-based social work." Since different connotations — that is linguistic meanings — can be attached to the concept, it needs linguistic clarification. In this paper, the concept is outlined from a linguistic point of view by specifying its intensions. In conclusion, research-based social work is proving to be a key concept in modern social work, for which the meanings associated with the concept vary under different contexts. A kind of universal view of the concept is to understand it to refer to the acquisition and application of research-based information and the adherence to a style of working in accordance with scientific conventions to ensure the quality of good practice in social work.
INFORMAL CAREGIVERS IN HONG KONG: A REVIEW AND AN AGENDA FOR POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Authors: LO SALLY KA WING
Published: March 2023

Informal family long-term caregiving has become an appealing policy topic in Hong Kong in recent years. The Hong Kong Government has released a commissioned report on caregivers of the elderly and persons with disabilities. It is timely to gauge the views of the policy stakeholders accordingly. This paper uses qualitative methods to review the existing carer policies and services and collect the experience and views of caregivers and frontline workers. It investigates the issues related to informal caregivers and discusses possible future directions.
Antimicrobial peptides recognition using weighted physicochemical property encoding
Authors: Na Standa , Wannigama Dhammika Leshan , Saethang Thammakorn
Published: March 2023

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are one of the host defense mechanisms responding efficiently against multidrug-resistant microbes. Since the process of screening AMPs from a large number of peptides is still high-priced and time-consuming, the development of a precise and rapid computer-aided tool is essential for preliminary AMPs selection ahead of laboratory experiments. In this study, we proposed AMPs recognition models using a new peptide encoding method called amino acid index weight (AAIW). Four AMPs recognition models including antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal were trained based on datasets combined from the DRAMP and other published databases. These models achieved high performance compared to the preceding AMPs recognition models when evaluated on two independent test sets. All four models yielded over 93% in accuracy and 0.87 in Matthew’s correlation coefficient (MCC). An online AMPs recognition server is accessible at https://amppred-aaiw.com .
Dynamic analysis and bifurcation control of a delayed fractional-order eco-epidemiological migratory bird model with fear effect
Authors: Song Caihong , Li Ning
Published: March 2023

In this paper, a new delayed fractional-order model including susceptible migratory birds, infected migratory birds and predators is proposed to discuss the spread of diseases among migratory birds. Fear of predators is considered in the model, as fear can reduce the reproduction rate and disease transmission rate among prey. First, some basic mathematical results of the proposed model are discussed. Then, time delay is regarded as a bifurcation parameter, and the delay-induced bifurcation conditions for such an uncontrolled system are established. A novel periodic pulse feedback controller is proposed to suppress the bifurcation phenomenon. It is found that the control scheme can successfully suppress the bifurcation behavior of the system, and the pulse width can be arbitrarily selected on the premise of ensuring the control effect. Compared with the traditional time-delay feedback controller, the control scheme proposed in this paper has more advantages in practical application, which not only embodies the advantages of low control cost and easy operation but also caters to the periodic changes of the environment. The proposed control scheme, in particular, remains effective even after the system has been disrupted by a constant. Numerical simulation verifies the correctness of the theoretical results.
Wild Patterns Reloaded: A Survey of Machine Learning Security against Training Data Poisoning
Authors: Cinà Antonio Emanuele , Grosse Kathrin , Demontis Ambra , Vascon Sebastiano , Zellinger Werner , Moser Bernhard A. , Oprea Alina , Biggio Battista , Pelillo Marcello , Roli Fabio
Published: March 2023

The success of machine learning is fueled by the increasing availability of computing power and large training datasets. The training data is used to learn new models or update existing ones, assuming that it is sufficiently representative of the data that will be encountered at test time. This assumption is challenged by the threat of poisoning, an attack that manipulates the training data to compromise the model’s performance at test time. Although poisoning has been acknowledged as a relevant threat in industry applications, and a variety of different attacks and defenses have been proposed so far, a complete systematization and critical review of the field is still missing. In this survey, we provide a comprehensive systematization of poisoning attacks and defenses in machine learning, reviewing more than 100 papers published in the field in the past 15 years. We start by categorizing the current threat models and attacks and then organize existing defenses accordingly. While we focus mostly on computer-vision applications, we argue that our systematization also encompasses state-of-the-art attacks and defenses for other data modalities. Finally, we discuss existing resources for research in poisoning and shed light on the current limitations and open research questions in this research field.
Technical Report Column
Authors: Kelley Dean
Published: March 2023

Welcome to the Technical Reports Column. If your institution publishes technical reports that you'd like to have included here, please contact me at the email address above.
A Brief Summary of PODC 2022
Authors: Alistarh Dan , Balliu Alkida , Los Dimitrios , Ovens Sean
Published: March 2023

This year, the 41st ACM SIGACT-SIGOPS Symposium on Principles of Distributed Computing (PODC 2022) was held in Salerno, Italy, between July 25-29, in the wonderful setting of Italy's Amalfi coast. The conference had three keynotes, over 50 accepted papers, if we include brief announcements, several workshops, and more than 100 attendees. Thus, PODC 2022 constituted a great return to in-person meetings for the distributed computing community, after two years of online and hybrid meetings.
Merging Signaling with Structure: Functions and Mechanisms of Plant Glutamate Receptor Ion Channels
Authors: Simon Alexander A. , Navarro-Retamal Carlos , Feijó José A.
Published: March 2023

Plant glutamate receptor-like (GLR) genes encode ion channels with demonstrated roles in electrical and calcium (Ca2+) signaling. The expansion of the GLR family along the lineage of land plants, culminating in the appearance of a multiclade system among flowering plants, has been a topic of interest since their discovery nearly 25 years ago. GLRs are involved in many physiological processes, from wound signaling to transcriptional regulation to sexual reproduction. Emerging evidence supports the notion that their fundamental functions are conserved among different groups of plants as well. In this review, we update the physiological and genetic evidence for GLRs, establishing their role in signaling and cell–cell communication. Special emphasis is given to the recent discussion of GLRs’ atomic structures. Along with functional assays, a structural view of GLRs’ molecular organization presents a window for novel hypotheses regarding the molecular mechanisms underpinning signaling associated with the ionic fluxes that GLRs regulate. Newly uncovered transcriptional regulations associated with GLRs—which propose the involvement of genes from all clades of Arabidopsis thaliana in ways not previously observed—are discussed in the context of the broader impacts of GLR activity. We posit that the functions of GLRs in plant biology are probably much broader than anticipated, but describing their widespread involvement will only be possible with ( a) a comprehensive understanding of the channel's properties at the molecular and structural levels, including protein–protein interactions, and ( b) the design of new genetic approaches to explore stress and pathogen responses where precise transcriptional control may result in more precise testable hypotheses to overcome their apparent functional redundancies.
Frontiers of Carbonate Clumped Isotope Thermometry
Authors: Huntington Katharine W. , Petersen Sierra V.
Published: March 2023

Carbonate minerals contain stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen with different masses whose abundances and bond arrangement are governed by thermodynamics. The clumped isotopic value Δi is a measure of the temperature-dependent preference of heavy C and O isotopes to clump, or bond with or near each other, rather than with light isotopes in the carbonate phase. Carbonate clumped isotope thermometry uses Δi values measured by mass spectrometry (Δ47, Δ48) or laser spectroscopy (Δ638) to reconstruct mineral growth temperature in surface and subsurface environments independent of parent water isotopic composition. Two decades of analytical and theoretical development have produced a mature temperature proxy that can estimate carbonate formation temperatures from 0.5 to 1,100°C, with up to 1–2°C external precision (2 standard error of the mean). Alteration of primary environmental temperatures by fluid-mediated and solid-state reactions and/or Δi values that reflect nonequilibrium isotopic fractionations reveal diagenetic history and/or mineralization processes. Carbonate clumped isotope thermometry has contributed significantly to geological and biological sciences, and it is poised to advance understanding of Earth's climate system, crustal processes, and growth environments of carbonate minerals.
▪Clumped heavy isotopes in carbonate minerals record robust temperatures and fluid compositions of ancient Earth surface and subsurface environments.▪Mature analytical methods enable carbonate clumped Δ47, Δ48, and Δ638 measurements to address diverse questions in geological and biological sciences.▪These methods are poised to advance marine and terrestrial paleoenvironment and paleoclimate, tectonics, deformation, hydrothermal, and mineralization studies.
Upregulation of APOC1 Promotes Colorectal Cancer Progression and Serves as a Potential Therapeutic Target Based on Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Tang Weiwei , Liu Hanyuan , Li Xiao , Ooi Theng Choon , Rajab Nor Fadilah , Cao Hongyong , Sharif Razinah
Published: March 2023

Background. Approximately 10% of cancer patients worldwide have colorectal cancer (CRC), a prevalent gastrointestinal malignancy with substantial mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this work was to investigate the APOC1 gene’s expression patterns in the CRC tumor microenvironment and, using the findings from bioinformatics, to assess the biological function of APOC1 in the development of CRC. Methods. The TCGA portal was employed in this investigation to find APOC1 expression in CRC. Its correlation with other genes and clinicopathological data was examined using the UALCAN database. To validate APOC1’s cellular location, the Human Protein was employed. In order to forecast the relationship between APOC1 expression and prognosis in CRC patients, the Kaplan–Meier plotter database was used. TISIDB was also employed to evaluate the connection between immune responses and APOC1 expression in CRC. The interactions of APOC1 with other proteins were predicted using STRING. In order to understand the factors that contribute to liver metastasis from CRC, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was done on one patient who had the disease. This procedure included sampling preoperative blood and the main colorectal cancer tissues, surrounding colorectal cancer normal tissues, liver metastatic cancer tissues, and normal liver tissues. Finally, an in vitro knockdown method was used to assess how APOC1 expression in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) affected CRC cancer cell growth and migration. Results. When compared to paracancerous tissues, APOC1 expression was considerably higher in CRC tissues. The clinicopathological stage and the prognosis of CRC patients had a positive correlation with APOC1 upregulation and a negative correlation, respectively. APOC1 proteins are mostly found in cell cytosols where they may interact with APOE, RAB42, and TREM2. APOC1 was also discovered to have a substantial relationship with immunoinhibitors (CD274, IDO1, and IL10) and immunostimulators (PVR, CD86, and ICOS). According to the results of scRNA-seq, we found that TAMs of CRC tissues had considerably more APOC1 than other cell groups. The proliferation and migration of CRC cells were impeded in vitro by APOC1 knockdown in TAMs. Conclusion. Based on scRNA-seq research, the current study shows that APOC1 was overexpressed in TAMs from CRC tissues. By inhibiting APOC1 in TAMs, CRC progression was reduced in vitro, offering a new tactic and giving CRC patients fresh hope.
Dual-Channel Supply Chain Coordination with Loss-Averse Consumers
Authors: Zhang Mengyu , Ying Shanshan , Xu Xing
Published: March 2023

Most studies on supply chain coordination assume that consumers are rational. However, with the development of e-commerce, consumer-bounded rationality has become an important issue with respect to supply chain coordination. Based on the assumption that some consumers are loyal to the offline shop and others are reference-dependent, this article examines the mechanism of vertical restraints and their competitive effects. This research study found that compared with the assumption of rational consumers used in previous literature, vertical restraints help internalize the “channel price gap externality” when consumers are loss averse. When separately operating, the offline shop will set a higher price due to its consumers’ higher loyalty and willingness to pay. However, given the positive externality of this price to the online retail sales, the offline price is still lower than the level under vertical integration. When the upstream manufacturer achieves supply chain coordination with vertical restraint contracts, the channel price gap externality is internalized, and the channel price gap expands to stimulate loss-averse consumers’ purchasing decisions.
Multi‐Ideology, Multiclass Online Extremism Dataset, and Its Evaluation Using Machine Learning
Authors: Gaikwad Mayur , Ahirrao Swati , Phansalkar Shraddha , Kotecha Ketan , Rani Shalli
Published: March 2023

Social media platforms play a key role in fostering the outreach of extremism by influencing the views, opinions, and perceptions of people. These platforms are increasingly exploited by extremist elements for spreading propaganda, radicalizing, and recruiting youth. Hence, research on extremism detection on social media platforms is essential to curb its influence and ill effects. A study of existing literature on extremism detection reveals that it is restricted to a specific ideology, binary classification with limited insights on extremism text, and manual data validation methods to check data quality. In existing research studies, researchers have used datasets limited to a single ideology. As a result, they face serious issues such as class imbalance, limited insights with class labels, and a lack of automated data validation methods. A major contribution of this work is a balanced extremism text dataset, versatile with multiple ideologies verified by robust data validation methods for classifying extremism text into popular extremism types such as propaganda, radicalization, and recruitment. The presented extremism text dataset is a generalization of multiple ideologies such as the standard ISIS dataset, GAB White Supremacist dataset, and recent Twitter tweets on ISIS and white supremacist ideology. The dataset is analyzed to extract features for the three focused classes in extremism with TF‐IDF unigram, bigrams, and trigrams features. Additionally, pretrained word2vec features are used for semantic analysis. The extracted features in the proposed dataset are evaluated using machine learning classification algorithms such as multinomial Naïve Bayes, support vector machine, random forest, and XGBoost algorithms. The best results were achieved by support vector machine using the TF‐IDF unigram model confirming 0.67 F1 score. The proposed multi‐ideology and multiclass dataset shows comparable performance to the existing datasets limited to single ideology and binary labels.
[Retracted] Analyzing the Relationship among Social Capital, Dynamic Capability, and Farmers′ Cooperative Performance Using Lightweight Deep Learning Model: A Case Study of Liaoning Province
Authors: Zhang Simeng , Wu Dongli
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between social capital and the performance of Farmers′ Cooperatives (Cooperatives) and explore the internal mechanism of social capital affecting the performance of Cooperatives. This work selects two dimensions: cognitive social capital (CSC) and structural social capital (SSC), as indexes to measure the social capital of Cooperatives. An analytical framework is proposed: “Social capital‐Dynamic capabilities‐Organizational performance.” First, according to the characteristics of Cooperatives, it determines the most appropriate index values and preprocesses the original data. Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structure (AMOS) 25.0 software are used for factor analysis. A financial performance evaluation model of Cooperatives based on backpropagation neural network (BPNN) is constructed. Then, based on the survey data of 212 Cooperatives in Liaoning Province, the structural equation model (SEM) is used to test the interaction path between “Social capital‐Dynamic capacity‐Organizational performance.” The results show that SSC′s standardized regression coefficients (SRCs) on Cooperatives′ economic benefits and member satisfaction are 0.208 and 0.095, respectively, significant at 1%. The actual case analysis concludes that the larger the scale of the structural network embedded in Cooperatives is, the more conducive it is to obtaining extensive resources. As such, Cooperatives can absorb the advanced experience and compensate for the weakness of lack of internal resources and experience. The SRC of CSC on Cooperatives′ economic benefits is 0.336, and the P value is 0.204, indicating an insignificant impact of CSC on Cooperatives′ economic benefits. This work considers environmental variability, uses dynamic capacity as an independent variable, opens the “black box” between social capital and the performance of Cooperatives, and reveals the intermediate path between the two.
Research on the Seismic Performance of Prefabricated Bridge Piers Using UHPC Grout under an Eccentric Load
Authors: Zeng Ben , Xu Jiahui , Zheng Xiaohong , Zhang Songqi
Published: March 2023

At present, research on prefabricated piers is limited to the axial compression state. However, many piers are under small eccentric compression in practical engineering. In this article, the seismic performance of ultrahigh performance concrete (UHPC)-grouted corrugated pipe-connected piers under small eccentric compression was studied. A pseudostatic test was carried out by using a prefabricated pier column model connected with UHPC-grouted corrugated pipes. The failure mechanism of the plastic hinge area of the column base was studied, and the failure mode, energy dissipation capacity, displacement ductility, and ultimate bearing capacity were compared with those of an ordinary axially compressed pier column structure. The result shows that compared to the conventional cast-in-place(CIP) pier, the overall energy dissipation capacity and the ductility factor of assembled pier with UHPC-grouted corrugated pipe-connection were decreased approximately by 5.0% and by 10%, respectively. The pinching phenomenon of the hysteresis curve of the precast pier was more obvious. When the assembled piers were under small eccentric compression, the overall energy dissipation capacity was close to that of conventional CIP piers and the ductility factor was improved by 20%. Comparison of two precast piers using the same UHPC grout connections shows that the stiffness degradation process of precast pier under small eccentric compression was similar to that under axial compression. But the ductility coefficient of precast pier under small eccentric compression increased by about 20%. The small eccentric compression caused different damage degrees in the plastic hinge zone at the bottom of the precast column. The ultimate load in the same direction as the additional bending moment was 55% lower than that of the opposite direction.
Deep Transcriptome Profiling of Multiple Myeloma Using Quantitative Phenotypes
Authors: Griffin Rosalie , Hanson Heidi A. , Avery Brian J. , Madsen Michael J. , Sborov Douglas W. , Camp Nicola J.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Transcriptome studies are gaining momentum in genomic epidemiology, and the need to incorporate these data in multivariable models alongside other risk factors brings demands for new approaches.

Methods:

Here we describe SPECTRA, an approach to derive quantitative variables that capture the intrinsic variation in gene expression of a tissue type. We applied the SPECTRA approach to bulk RNA sequencing from malignant cells (CD138+) in patients from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation CoMMpass study.

Results:

A set of 39 spectra variables were derived to represent multiple myeloma cells. We used these variables in predictive modeling to determine spectra-based risk scores for overall survival, progression-free survival, and time to treatment failure. Risk scores added predictive value beyond known clinical and expression risk factors and replicated in an external dataset. Spectrum variable S5, a significant predictor for all three outcomes, showed pre-ranked gene set enrichment for the unfolded protein response, a mechanism targeted by proteasome inhibitors which are a common first line agent in multiple myeloma treatment. We further used the 39 spectra variables in descriptive modeling, with significant associations found with tumor cytogenetics, race, gender, and age at diagnosis; factors known to influence multiple myeloma incidence or progression.

Conclusions:

Quantitative variables from the SPECTRA approach can predict clinical outcomes in multiple myeloma and provide a new avenue for insight into tumor differences by demographic groups.

Impact:

The SPECTRA approach provides a set of quantitative phenotypes that deeply profile a tissue and allows for more comprehensive modeling of gene expression with other risk factors.
Diet Quality and All-Cause Mortality in Women with Breast Cancer from the Breast Cancer Family Registry
Authors: Haslam Danielle E. , John Esther M. , Knight Julia A. , Li Zhongyu , Buys Saundra S. , Andrulis Irene L. , Daly Mary B. , Genkinger Jeanine M. , Terry Mary Beth , Zhang Fang Fang
Published: March 2023

Background:

The impact of diet on breast cancer survival remains inconclusive. We assessed associations of all-cause mortality with adherence to the four diet quality indices: Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Alternative Mediterranean Diet (aMED), and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH).

Methods:

Dietary intake data were evaluated for 6,157 North American women enrolled in the Breast Cancer Family Registry who had been diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from 1993 to 2011 and were followed through 2018. Pre-diagnosis (n = 4,557) or post-diagnosis (n = 1,600) dietary intake was estimated through a food frequency questionnaire. During a median follow-up time of 11.3 years, 1,265 deaths occurred. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results:

Women in the highest versus lowest quartile of adherence to the HEI-2015, AHEI, aMED, and DASH indices had a lower risk of all-cause mortality. HR (95% CI) were 0.88 (0.74–1.04; Ptrend = 0.12) for HEI-2015; 0.82 (0.69–0.97; Ptrend = 0.02) for AHEI; 0.73 (0.59–0.92; Ptrend = 0.02) for aMED; and 0.78 (0.65–0.94; Ptrend = 0.006) for DASH. In subgroup analyses, the associations with higher adherence to the four indices were similar for pre- or post-diagnosis dietary intake and were confined to women with a body mass index <25 kg/m2 and women with hormone receptor positive tumors.

Conclusions:

Higher adherence to the HEI-2015, AHEI, aMED, and DASH indices was associated with lower mortality among women with breast cancer.

Impact:

Adherence to a healthy diet may improve survival of women with breast cancer.
Ceftaroline and Avibactam Removal by Continuous Renal Replacement Therapies: An in vitro Study
Authors: Alarcia-Lacalle Ana , Barrasa Helena , Maynar Javier , Canut-Blasco Andrés , Solinís María Ángeles , Isla Arantxa , Rodríguez-Gascón Alicia
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Continuous renal replacement therapies (CRRTs) are frequently used in critically ill patients; however, there are scarce in vitro and in vivo studies showing the extracorporeal elimination of ceftaroline and avibactam. The aim of this study was to assess, through an in vitro model, the extracorporeal elimination of ceftaroline and avibactam by continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH), continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF), and continuous veno-venous hemodialysis (CVVHD), using a polysulfone hemofilter. Methods: Simulated in vitro experiments were performed using a multiFiltrate machine with a 1.4 m2 Ultraflux® AV600S polysulfone hemofilter. Isofundin® without or with bovine serum albumin was circulated as vehicle for ceftaroline or avibactam. Pre-filter, post-filter, and effluent samples were taken over a period of 60 min, and they were immediately stored at 4°C until processed in the same day. The quantification of ceftaroline and avibactam in the samples was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Protein binding, extraction coefficient (EC), and extracorporeal clearance (CLCRRT) were calculated. Results: The elimination of both ceftaroline and avibactam during the three extracorporeal modalities followed first-order pharmacokinetics. Regardless of the CRRT technique, EC values for both molecules were around 1, similar to the unbound fraction of avibactam (0.96) and higher than the unbound fraction of ceftaroline (0.79). CLCRRT of ceftaroline ranged from 15.63 to 17.66 mL/min when CVVH and CVVHD were used with a flow rate of 1,000 mL/h, and from 29.25 to 32.95 mL/min for the CVVHDF modality with a flow rate of 2,000 mL/h. For avibactam, CLCRRT ranged from 15.07 to 18.82 mL/min for CVVH and CVVHD, and from 33.74 to 34.13 mL/min for CVVHDF. Discussion: Avibactam and ceftaroline are extensively removed through the polysulfone membrane, and a dose adjustment may be recommended for patients under CRRT to ensure pharmacodynamic target achievement.
Olfactory Dysfunction, an Often Neglected Symptom of Hydrocephalus: Experience from a Case of Late-Onset Idiopathic Aqueductal Stenosis
Authors: Yamazaki Naoya , Hasegawa Takafumi , Ikeda Kensuke , Miyata Ako , Osawa Shin-ichiro , Niizuma Kuniyasu , Kanno Shigenori , Tominaga Teiji , Aoki Masashi
Published: March 2023

Disturbance of smell is often accompanied with common neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. In addition, patients with head trauma, intracranial tumors, and hydrocephalus can also develop olfactory dysfunction, and some of which can improve with treatment of the underlying disease. In clinical practice, few patients complain of smell disturbances, thus olfactory dysfunction is often overshadowed by visible motor symptoms. Herein, we report a case of late-onset idiopathic aqueductal stenosis, a rare form of adult-onset hydrocephalus in which olfactory dysfunction and gait disturbance was markedly improved after endoscopic ventriculostomy. This case report is expected to make more physicians aware that hydrocephalus can cause olfactory dysfunction and that it can be corrected postoperatively. Furthermore, in addition to motor and neuropsychological function, olfactory function test might be useful for functional assessment before and after surgical treatment of hydrocephalus.
Psychometric Properties of Food Frequency Questionnaires Used in Dentistry: A Systematic Review
Authors: dos Santos Caroline Souza , da Rosa Saulo Vinicius , Moysés Samuel Jorge , Rached Rodrigo Nunes , Baldani Marcia Helena , Werneck Renata Iani , Gasparello Gil Guilherme , Rocha Juliana Schaia
Published: March 2023

The objective of this systematic review was to analyze the quality of the food frequency instruments/scales used in dentistry while considering their psychometric properties. The databases consulted were PubMed (August 7, 2020), Scopus (August 27, 2020), Web of Science (August 27, 2020), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Dentistry and Oral Sciences Source (via EBSCO) (August 28, 2020), LILACS and BBO (August 25, 2020), gray literature: Proquest (October 1, 2020), Capes Theses Bank (October 1, 2020), Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (October 1, 2020), Google Scholar (October 2, 2020), and proceedings of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) (October 10, 2020). All databases were updated on December 12, 2022. Articles were initially selected by reading the 6,421 titles and 13 abstracts selected, followed by reading the 8 articles included for full text reading to confirm the eligibility criteria, with the aid of Rayyan software. Databases of the construction and/or validation of instruments/scales for assessing food consumption for use in dentistry (in clinical contexts and/or epidemiological studies), with or without assessment of their psychometric properties, were included. Review studies, letters to editors, and research protocols were excluded. Risk of bias assessment was performed according to the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist. The extracted data were author, country, instrument language, sample, assessment instrument, instrument structure, type of food, instruments compared with the clinical condition, adaptation of an existing instrument, and psychometric properties evaluated. The selection, risk of bias analysis, and data extraction processes were performed by two independent evaluators. Seven studies were identified. The instruments available in the literature were in English, Japanese, Creole, and Malay. Only one study performed translation and cross-cultural validation of an instrument, whereas the others were construction studies. One study did not assess psychometric properties. Regarding the quality assessment and general classification of the studies by the COSMIN checklist, all were considered “inadequate,” with reliability (test-retest) being the most validated psychometric property; only one study carried out the validation of all psychometric properties measured in COSMIN. Regarding the quality of the instruments presented, all the studies were classified as “inadequate” in the general assessment. Advances are needed in the validation process.
Association of Home‐Based Cardiac Rehabilitation With Lower Mortality in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: Results From the Veterans Health Administration Healthy Heart Program
Authors: Krishnamurthi Nirupama , Schopfer David W. , Shen Hui , Rohrbach Gregory , Elnaggar Abdelaziz , Whooley Mary A.
Published: March 2023

Background

Home‐based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) and traditional facility‐based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs have similar effects on mortality in clinical trials and meta‐analyses. However, the effect of HBCR on mortality in clinical practice settings is less clear. Therefore, we sought to compare mortality rates in HBCR participants versus nonparticipants.

Methods and Results

We evaluated all patients who were referred to and eligible for outpatient CR between 2013 and 2018 at the San Francisco Veterans Health Administration. Patients who chose to attend facility‐based CR and those who died within 30 days of hospitalization were excluded. Patients who chose to participate in HBCR received up to 9 telephonic coaching and motivational interviewing sessions over 12 weeks. All patients were followed through June 30, 2021. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models with inverse probability treatment weighting to compare mortality in HBCR participants versus nonparticipants. Of the 1120 patients (mean age 68, 98% male, 76% White) who were referred and eligible, 490 (44%) participated in HBCR. During a median follow‐up of 4.2 years, 185 patients (17%) died. Mortality was lower among the 490 HBCR participants versus the 630 nonparticipants (12% versus 20%;
P
<0.01). In an inverse probability weighted Cox regression analysis adjusted for patient demographics and comorbid conditions, the hazard of mortality remained 36% lower among HBCR participants versus nonparticipants (hazard ratio, 0.64 [95% CI, 0.45–0.90],
P
=0.01).

Conclusions

Among patients eligible for CR, participation in HBCR was associated with 36% lower hazard of mortality. Although unmeasured confounding can never be eliminated in an observational study, our findings suggest that HBCR may benefit patients who cannot attend traditional CR programs.
Description of three new species of predatory Genus Hexacentrus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from India, with bioacoustic and morphological characterizations
Authors: GHOSH AARINI , JAISWARA RANJANA , MONAAL  , SABHARWAL SHAGUN , DASOJU VIVEK , BHATTACHARJEE ANUBHAB , RAJARAMAN BITTU KAVERI
Published: March 2023

Hexacentrus is a genus of predatory katydids. In India, the genus Hexacentrus is represented by 7 species of which 6 are morphologically characterized while one is only acoustically characterized. In this study, we describe three new species under the genus from India based on detailed morphological, stridulatory, and acoustic features.
Milnesium guanyinensis sp. nov. (Eutardigrada: Apochela) from Yunnan, China
Authors: YUAN ZHIMIN , LIU QIUJU , WANG YAN , LIU LIJIE , CHEN YAN , LI XIAOCHEN
Published: March 2023

A new species from China, Milnesium guanyinensis sp. nov. (Tardigrada: Eutardigrada: Apochela: Milnesiidae), is described by means of classical taxonomic analysis, i.e. morphology-based evidence, specifically obtained from light and scanning electron microscopy imaging. The new Milnesium species is characterised by the reticulated dorsal cuticle and a claw configuration [2-2]-[2-2] in hatchlings and [2-3]-[3-2] in juvenile and adult specimens. Milnesium guanyinensis sp. nov. is most similar to M. katarzynae Kaczmarek et al. 2004 and M. pacificum Sugiura et al. 2020, but it differs from them mainly by details of the dorsal sculpture and some morphometric characters. So far, there have been nearly 200 Tardigrada species reported for China, and the discovery of the new species raises the number of first known tardigrade species of the genus Milnesium in China to three.
A new species and new record of Samadinia Ng & Richer de Forges, 2013 (Crustacea: Brachyura: Epaltidae) from deepwater off north-eastern Queensland, Australia
Authors: DAVIE PETER J. F. , LEE BEE YAN
Published: March 2023

A new species of Samadinia Richer de Forges & Ng, 2013, is described from deep-water off northeastern Queensland, Australia. Samadinia hela n. sp. is distinctive in having pseudorostral spines longer than the maximum carapace length, slender preorbital spines that are curved inwards over the base of the rostrum, and long and laterally flattened hepatic and lateral bracnchial spine plates. A new record of S. despereaux (Lee, Richer de Forges & Ng, 2019) from Queensland is also reported in this study.
Interdecadal Variability of the Meridional Wind across the Eastern Equatorial Pacific and Its Relationship with ENSO
Authors: Wang Hao , Zheng Xiao-Tong
Published: March 2023

The interdecadal variability of cross-equatorial meridional winds in the eastern Pacific (VEP), which has been shown to correlate with the amplitude of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the interdecadal time scale, is investigated using long-term observations and 22 models from phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). Both observations and models exhibit a tight negative correlation between interannual variations of VEP and ENSO, and this relationship is synchronized with the interdecadal variability of VEP. In long-term observations, ENSO amplitude modulation is still seen to be out-of-phase with interdecadal variability of VEP. This relationship, however, is substantially underestimated among CMIP6 models, particularly in the historical simulations. The interdecadal variability of VEP is associated with both the interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO) and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) in observations. However, most CMIP6 preindustrial control (PI-control) experiments have no link between the VEP and AMO. In contrast, in historical simulations, the multimodel mean of interdecadal VEP shows a significant fluctuation with AMO around the 1980s, which might be caused by the anthropogenic aerosol forcing. Consequently, the interdecadal variation of the AMO–VEP relationship is likely a response to external forcing while the IPO–VEP relationship is mainly modulated by internal climate variability. Another plausible factor causing the weak AMO–VEP relationship in PI-control runs is the unrealistic relationship between modeled SSTs in the tropical Pacific and North Atlantic. Furthermore, model biases in the tropical Pacific may account for the weak relationship between interdecadal VEP and ENSO amplitude in CMIP6 models.
Urban youth perceptions of sports and energy drinks: Insights for health promotion messaging
Authors: Maloney Erin K , Bleakley Amy , Stevens Robin , Ellithorpe Morgan , Jordan Amy
Published: March 2023

Background:

In the USA, lower income minority ethnic children and teenagers report high consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, which cause dental erosion and dental carries, and play a significant role in overweight, obesity and diabetes.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine urban adolescents’ beliefs about sports and energy drinks to identify factors for health messaging to discourage youth consumption.

Design:

Focus group study involves 34 adolescents in urban areas (12 women, 12 men and 10 unreported sex; 19 Hispanic, 11 non-Hispanic Black, 2 Asian and 2 unknown race or ethnicity).

Setting:

Four focus groups were conducted with adolescents in urban areas.

Method:

Each on-time moderated group discussion was structured to generate an inventory of attitudinal, normative and efficacy beliefs associated with sports and energy drink consumption and reduction. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results:

Attitudinal and normative beliefs were more positive towards sports drink consumption and energy drink reduction. Misperceptions about the need for sports drinks to avoid dehydration during physical activity were evident. Product accessibility and advertising pervasiveness were facilitators influencing consumption and barriers to reduction for both products.

Conclusion:

Results highlight important differences in perceptions about sports and energy drinks that indicate the need for different approaches and messages for interventions designed to curb consumption of these products. Recommendations for message design are provided.
The Long-run Impact of Childhood Wartime Violence on Preferences for Nuclear Proliferation
Authors: Kim James D.
Published: March 2023

How do childhood experiences of wartime violence affect individuals’ preferences for nuclear proliferation? This paper argues that individuals who experienced severe war violence during childhood are more likely to value the security-enhancing aspects of nuclear weapons. These individuals are more concerned about being exposed to additional wartime violence, so they view nuclear weapons as a deterrent against large-scale invasions. By utilizing the geographic variation of violence intensity during the Korean War, this paper compares the pre-war and post-war cohorts who resided in severely damaged regions and relatively safe areas. Within the pre-war cohort, I find that individuals who resided in war-torn areas are more supportive of nuclear proliferation than those who were exposed to less violence. This regional difference, however, is not substantial in the post-war generation. The results suggest that direct exposure to wartime violence during childhood increases public demand for nuclear weapons when confronted with security threats.
Multiplier effects of some complementary agricultural practices: Evidence from rice in Ecuador
Authors: Alarcón Silverio , Lema Victor H
Published: March 2023

Rice is a crop that contributes significantly both to food security and to ensure adequate income levels for farmers. This motivates efforts in many countries to disseminate techniques that increase production while being environmentally friendly and affordable to small farmers. The objective of this article is to study the process of adoption of innovations in rice cultivation in Ecuador. Four practices that increase yields and improve natural resource management have been selected: land leveling, certified seed, widely spaced transplanting, and the use of harvesting machinery. The factors that most influence their adoption are studied for each of them: human and social capital, and institutional support for agriculture. In addition, the interrelations of some practices with others are analyzed. Multivariate probit estimation shows that education is the main factor that increases the probability of adopting these practices. And with unequal incidence are associationism, access to credit and insurance. The complementarities found between different practices point to the convenience of promoting them jointly to take advantage of their synergies.
How to make more valid decisions about assessment data
Authors: Thompson Greg , Rutkowski Leslie , Rutkowski David
Published: March 2023

Those asked to make valid decisions with data don’t have the technical knowledge to understand nuance around data quality, assessment aims, and statistical limitations that influence how they should interpret the data. This reality is what Greg Thompson, Leslie Rutkowski, and David Rutkowski call the validity paradox. Educators can surmount this paradox by following a five-step model in which they make a claim, make the opposite claim, and then determine how well both claims are supported by the available evidence. This process can enable practicing educators to make more valid decisions based on data.
The power of teachers’ perceptions
Authors: Century Jeanne
Published: March 2023

Florida’s Broward County Public Schools and the University of Chicago engaged in a Research-Practice Partnership (RPP) to scale teacher practices that support students’ critical thinking. As part of the RPP, Jeanne Century’s research team conducted research to determine what barriers might limit the spread of these practices. The findings show that teacher biases about students’ ability to engage in critical thinking, as well as their self-efficacy, might limit the extent to which teachers are willing to change their practices. Because teacher perceptions have been linked to students’ race, gender, and socioeconomic status, these perceptions may have consequences for efforts to promote equity. To improve teacher perceptions, districts can change their messaging about student abilities, boost teacher self-efficacy, and directly address teacher perceptions.
Strength born of weakness: the advantages of open maritime polities in multipolar international systems
Authors: Murariu Mihai , Anglitoiu George
Published: March 2023

This paper focuses on open maritime polities and their competitive advantages in multipolar international systems. Firstly, the paper explores the various understandings of seapower and its possible impact in international relations, while also drawing attention to its non-military dimensions. Secondly, the paper considers the factors which affect the emergence of open maritime polities and the sustainability of their seapower. It argues that the origins of such polities can be found in their overall weakness and the opportunities provided by the sea in a multipolar international system, which, in turn, strengthens the autonomous groups that can make sustainable seapower possible to begin with. Thirdly, the dynamism and advantages of such polities in multipolar international systems are portrayed. The text focuses on medieval and early modern Venice and Genoa, including their varied strategies in using seapower in order to survive and add competitive advantages to their participation in Mediterranean-centric, multipolar international systems. The weakness which made possible the emergence of these polities fundamentally encouraged or enabled their open nature, adaptability and their agency within multipolarity. This represents a step in future research on what is arguably a mutually reinforcing connection between seapower, open societies and competitive advantages in multipolar systems.