bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are Islamic and conventional banks decoupled? Empirical evidence from Turkey
Authors: Khan Shabeer , Aslan Hakan , Khan Uzair Abdullah , Bhatti M.I.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study investigates the determinants of net interest margin (NIM) and tests the decoupling hypothesis in Turkey's Islamic and conventional banks.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has employed a panel quantile model (PQM) to assess the net interest margin (NIM) and test the decoupling hypothesis in the dual banking system of Turkey.

Findings

The empirical results show that the impact of equity is positive for both Islamic and conventional banks but relatively more robust for Islamic banks. Moreover, it is observed that return on assets has a positive association with NIM in both types of banking systems. Interestingly, the impact increases from lower to higher quantiles, but a higher acceleration rate is observed for Islamic banks. The study also finds that, as bank stability increases, NIM decreases for both groups of banks but more stably for Islamic banks, resulting in lower margins than conventional banks. Thus, the paper confirms the decoupling hypothesis and suggests that, to increase profit margins, Islamic banks need to increase assets and equity.

Practical implications

The paper confirms the decoupling hypothesis and suggests that to increase profit margin, Islamic banks need to increase assets and equity.

Social implications

Since both equity and assets contribute positively to interest margins, policymakers in the industry need to increase the size of equity and assets to get maximum returns.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to investigate NIM's determinants and test the decoupling hypothesis in the Turkish dual banking system using a non-parametric MCMC panel quantile regression (QRM) model.
Death in detention in the Northern part of Tunisia: a 15-year study (2005–2019)
Authors: Zaara Mohamed Amine , Ben Khelil Mehdi , Bellali Mohamed , Gharbaoui Meriem , Kort Ikram , Banasr Ahmed , Zhioua Mongi , Hamdoun Moncef
Published: December 2022

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the pattern of deaths in detention in Northern Tunisia as well as the causes of death.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study including all the casualties of death in detention examined in the legal medicine Department in the main teaching hospital from 2005 to 2019. The department covers 10 out of the 11 governorates of Northern Tunisia and 13 prisons.

Findings

Of a total of 197 casualties, only 2 were females. The mean age was 45.39 ± 14.43 years. A known medical history was reported in 63.5%, mainly cardiovascular disease, mental health disorders and diabetes. Half of the deaths occurred at the hospital. A total of 53 victims spent less than one year in custody before their death. Most deaths occurred due to disease-related causes (78.7%; n = 155); among these, 69 victims died from cardiovascular disease. Suicide accounted for 3.6% of the casualties and homicides for four cases.

Research limitations/implications

Several missing data regarding the details of the detention circumstances as well as the absence in some cases of the toxicological and histopathology analysis results, which could bias the study findings.

Practical implications

Death in detention in Northern Tunisia involved mainly males between their 30s and their 50s who died mainly from cardiovascular or pulmonary disease. These results underscore the importance of empowering the penitentiary health system.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of largest studies with regard to the number of decedents and the number of prisons from the Arab countries allowing to draw a pattern of casualties of death in prison.
Carers and domestic abuse – the elephant in the room?
Authors: Warburton-Wynn Amanda
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the issue of carers as victims and perpetrators of domestic abuse. The issue of carers as victims, and sometimes perpetrators, of domestic abuse is being overlooked by statutory organisations because they often do not fit the traditional patterns of abusive relationships, and the complexities of the caring role can make typical safety options unsuitable. However, caring responsibilities are a feature of an increasing number of domestic homicide reviews, and current statutory safeguarding options exclude most carers from support and risk not identifying perpetrators.

Design/methodology/approach

This short paper highlights some of the shortfalls around identifying the needs of carer victims/survivors of domestic abuse and carer-perpetrators of domestic abuse and explores ways in which identification and support could be improved.

Findings

Carers as victims/survivors of domestic abuse, and as abusers, is an issue that requires more attention from researchers and Adult Social Care, NHS, Carer Support Organisations and Domestic Abuse specialists need to work together to explore these issues and offer workable options.

Originality/value

Little data or research exists around carers as victims or perpetrators of domestic abuse.
Leadership through the subordinates' eye: perceptions of leader behaviors in relation to age and gender
Authors: Larsson Gerry , Molnar Malin Mattson , Tinnerholm Ljungberg Helena , Björklund Christina
Published: December 2022

Purpose

The study represents a theory-based leadership approach in exploring the subordinate's perceptions of leadership behaviors in relation to age, gender and type of work environment. The aim was (1) to compare subordinates' ratings of their respective leaders' leadership behaviors based on of the leaders' age and gender, controlling for type of work environment and (2) to analyze the relationship between the subordinates' ratings of their leaders' leadership behaviors and their ratings of the outcome of these leadership behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using the Developmental Leadership Questionnaire (DLQ) from a sample of Swedish leadership course participants (n = 10,869) and their respective subordinates (n = 97,943). The DLQ measures leadership behaviors designed to reflect the following leadership styles: developmental leadership, conventional-positive leadership, conventional-negative leadership and destructive leadership.

Findings

Results showed that older leaders (51 years or older) were rated less favorably than younger (29 years or younger) and mid-aged leaders. Female leaders received more positive ratings than male leaders. A 3-way analysis-of-variance showed strong main effects for age, gender, and type of work environment and no significant interaction effects. A significant model with high equivalents of R2 coefficients (Cox and Snell, 1989; Nagelkerke, 1991) was obtained in a logistic regression analysis. Developmental leadership and conventional-positive leadership made significant positive contributions to the subordinates' ratings of the outcome of their leaders' leadership behaviors. Destructive leadership behaviors contributed negatively to the outcome ratings.

Research limitations/implications

Weaknesses include the cross-sectional study design. The large sample size is a strength, and the results have novel implications for leadership theory related to subordinates' view on leadership.

Practical implications

Counter-stereotype age and gender findings may have implications for organizational decisions and processes regarding selection of managers. Development programs are suggested for all categories but for older, male leaders with a focus on reducing their use of leadership behaviors perceived negatively by their subordinates, whereas younger female leaders should be encouraged to continue to develop their positive leadership behaviors.

Originality/value

The theory-based approach on subordinates' perceptions of leadership behaviors with a simultaneous focus on age, gender and type of work environment, based on a large-scale data set, is new.
From sense of competence to work–life and life–work enhancements of medical doctors: Sen’s capability approach
Authors: Trang Tran T.H. , Tho Nguyen Dinh
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Drawing upon the capability approach, this study aims to investigate the impact of sense of competence on work–life and life–work enhancements. It also examines the mediating roles of mindfulness and flow at work in the above relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 254 medical doctors in various hospitals in Vietnam was surveyed to validate the measures via confirmatory factor analysis and to test the model and hypotheses using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results demonstrate that mindfulness and flow at work fully mediate the effects of sense of competence on both work–life and life–work enhancements, but sense of competence does not have any direct effect on both.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to examine the roles of sense of competence, mindfulness and flow at work in work–life and life–work enhancements, adding further insight into the literature on work–life balance. It also offers evidence for the capacity approach in explaining work–life and life–work enhancements in an emerging market, Vietnam.
Drivers of employment effects in tourism-related sectors: the case of Mainland China
Authors: He Lamei , Zha Jianping , Tang Jianying , Tan Ting , Yu Qiao
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Tourism is a labor-intensive sector with extensive links to other industries and plays a vital role in creating employment. This study aims to propose a new framework to analyze the intrinsic structure of the employment effects of tourism-related sectors and their drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses input–output and structural decomposition analysis (IO-SDA) to quantify the employment effects of tourism-related sectors and their driving mechanisms based on China’s I-O tables of 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017.

Findings

The results show a declining trend in the intensity of direct or indirect employment effects in tourism-related sectors, indicating a decreasing number of jobs directly or indirectly required to create a unit of tourism output. Among tourism-related sectors, catering has the highest intensity of indirect employment effects over the study period. Catering stimulates the indirect employment of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery and food and tobacco manufacturing. The decomposition analysis reveals that final demand is the largest contributor to the increase in tourism employment, while technological progress shifts from an employment-creation effect in 2002–2012 to an employment-destruction effect in 2012–2017.

Originality/value

This study proposes a new analytical framework to investigate the structural proportional relationship between the direct and indirect employment effects of various tourism-related sectors and their dynamic changes. Doing so, it provides valuable references for policymakers to promote tourism employment.
The Golden Age of Gas and the energy crisis
Authors: de Rijke Kim
Published: December 2022

The war in Ukraine and the global energy crisis have brought the geopolitics of gas into stark relief. Recent promises of a ‘Golden Age of Gas’ and energy independence among countries extracting gas through fracking have not materialized. Anthropology addresses these contradictions and the various effects of changes in society's vital essence. Research demonstrates that the energy crisis is not just a distribution problem in uncertain times. It is symptomatic of our overheated world and the existential challenges we face on our finite planet.
Visual trust: Fake images in the Russia‐Ukraine war
Authors: Canals Roger
Published: December 2022

One of the central topics that the anthropology of images must address is that of the visual fake. This article analyses some of the meanings and functions of false images in the current war between Russia and Ukraine. Its main idea is that the falsity of images is not an intrinsic property of images themselves but the outcome of a plurality of contextual, semiotic and relational issues. The article claims the necessity of studying false and deceiving images from an ethnographic, qualitative and bottom‐up perspective, capable of revealing how individuals from different sociocultural domains establish relationships of trust and mistrust with visual signs.
Absent presence: Mourning the Queen on Gibraltar National Day
Authors: Irvine Richard D.G.
Published: December 2022

What does it mean to declare loyalty to the Crown? This article explores the politics of loyalty and the potency of monarchy's set‐apart quality. It does so from the vantage point of Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory the Queen had not visited since 1954 as the British government sought to avoid reigniting tensions with Spain. However, under the conditions of this absent presence, a particularly intense form of loyalty has emerged in Gibraltarians’ articulation of their relationship with their Queen. Against the ethnographic foreground of the cancellation of Gibraltar National Day events in the wake of the Queen's death, I explore how the mourning process demonstrates an intimacy that also enacts specific political intentionality.
On the possibility of engaged ethnography in prison
Authors: Cerbini Francesca
Published: December 2022

The state responded brutally to lockdown protests in Italian prisons soon after Italy announced its first national Covid‐19 lockdown. This article affirms the need for prison ethnographies, exploring ethical and methodological directions to research what is potentially a violent environment. However, within a prison context devoted to secrecy and suspicion, this research focuses on mundane fieldwork topics ‘other than violence’; namely, everyday life in prison (such as food, health and spirituality). Such a focus allows us to develop cultural intimacy in formal institutions while preserving political engagement.
Leadership skills for regulators
Authors: Bolton Mitzi , Mintrom Michael
Published: December 2022

Regulation plays a vital role in reducing harms and promoting public order. However, regulatory reform has been likened to painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it never ends. Coupling this reality with the increasing array of areas requiring regulation, there is an acute need for regulators to become more effective in how they work. We discuss the leadership skills needed to ensure regulators consistently contribute to the creation of public value.

Points for practitioners

Regulators can be more effective when they appreciate their authorising environment and the factors which make that environment dynamic.

Careful calibration of enforcement practices to the capabilities of those being regulated can reduce conflicts and improve outcomes.

Regulators with good communication skills can do much to resolve apparently intractable disputes.
Recent advances in the molecular understanding of medulloblastoma
Authors: Funakoshi Yusuke , Sugihara Yuriko , Uneda Atsuhito , Nakashima Takuma , Suzuki Hiromichi
Published: December 2022

Medulloblastoma is the most common pediatric malignant brain tumor composed of four molecular subgroups. Recent intensive genomics has greatly contributed to our understanding of medulloblastoma pathogenesis. Sequencing studies identified novel mutations involved in the cyclic AMP‐dependent pathway or RNA processing in the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) subgroup, and core‐binding factor subunit alpha (CBFA) complex in the group 4 subgroup. Likewise, single‐cell sequencing provided detailed insights into the cell of origin associated with brain development. In this review, we will summarize recent findings by sequencing analyses for medulloblastoma.
Prenatal diagnosis of VACTERL association after early‐first trimester SARS‐COV‐2 infection
Authors: Chimenea Angel , García‐Díaz Lutgardo , Calderón Ana María , Antiñolo Guillermo
Published: December 2022

Organogenesis is a period of fetal development with a special vulnerability to biological and environmental agents. There are some viral infections whose transmission in the first trimester carries a significant risk for the development of congenital anomalies. Although the possibility of vertical transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 during pregnancy has been demonstrated, there are no studies evaluating the impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in the first trimester and its possible association with congenital anomalies. In this communication, we present the case of a pregnant woman with early SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, prenatally diagnosed with fetal VACTERL association by mid‐trimester ultrasound. Further studies are needed to determine the causal association.
Polycaprolactone versus collagen membrane and 1‐year clinical outcomes: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Kusirisin Thun , Suwanprateeb Jintamai , Buranawat Borvornwut
Published: December 2022

Background

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a synthetic aliphatic polyester widely used in biomedical applications with biodegradability in the body and promotes cell proliferation and differentiation. A newly developed bilayered PCL membrane was developed for possibly being used as a membrane in guided bone regeneration (GBR).

Purpose

To compare the clinical efficacy between a newly developed bilayered PCL membrane with a Cytoplast™ RTM collagen membrane for GBR with simultaneous implant placement.

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐four patients were randomized to PCL or RTM group, and a total of 24 dental implants were placed. Primary outcomes were patient mean buccal bone thickness (BBT) immediately postimplantation and at 6 months using cone‐beam CT and soft tissue surface dimensional changes (STC) at crown insertion, 6 months, and 1 year after loading using intraoral scanner. Secondary outcomes included success rate, clinical parameters, healing index, implant stability, pink esthetic score, and marginal bone levels.

Results

The percentage of reduced BBT at 6 months was 32.38%, 25.94%, and 23.96% in the test group and 34.42%, 14.75%, and 6.34% in the control group at the corresponding levels. The mean difference of changed BBT associated with PCL membrane, when compared to collagen membrane, at 6 months was −0.02 ± 0.18 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.40 to 0.35), 0.29 ± 0.28 mm (95% CI: −0.29 to 0.87), and 0.62 ± 0.38 mm (95% CI: −0.17 to 1.42) at 0, 2, and 4 mm from implant shoulder. Minimal loss of STC was observed in both groups up to 1 year of loading. The mean difference loss of surface dimensional change associated with PCL membrane, when compared to collagen membrane, at 1 year of loading was 0.31 ± 0.19 mm (95% CI: −0.07 to 0.70), 0.22 ± 0.26 mm (95% CI: −0.33 to 0.76), and 0.17 ± 0.30 mm (95% CI: −0.45 to 0.78) at 0, 2, and 4 mm from implant shoulder. None of these differences were statistically significant (unpaired t‐test, degrees of freedom [df] = 22; p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Within the limits of this trial, both barrier membranes resulted in comparable outcomes for GBR with implant placement after 1 year in function. Further research is necessary with a larger sample size.
African sandstorms, blood rain and continental mineral delivery to the Canary Islands
Authors: Troll Valentin R. , Carracedo Juan Carlos , Gilg H. Albert
Published: December 2022

The origin of volcanism in the Canary Islands has been a matter of controversy for decades. Discussions have hinged on whether the Canaries owe their origin to seafloor fractures associated with the Atlas Mountain range or to an underlying plume or hotspot of uprising hot material from the deep mantle. The debate has recently concluded, however, following the discovery of nannofossils preserved in the products of the 2011–2012 submarine eruption at El Hierro, which constrain the age and growth history of the westernmost island of the archipelago and so cement a clear East to West age progression within the archipelago. Light‐coloured, quartz‐bearing pumice‐like ‘floating rocks’ (xeno‐pumice) were found on the sea surface during the first days of the 2011 El Hierro eruption and proved to be fragments of pre‐island, sedimentary strata that were picked up by ascending magma. Upper Cretaceous to Pliocene calcareous nannofossils such as coccolithophores were retrieved from the xeno‐pumice fragments, and these marine micro‐organism biostratigraphical markers now provide crucial evidence that island growth at El Hierro commenced in the Pliocene. Here we discuss how these essentially continental (quartz‐bearing) sediments on the African continental shelf derive from dominantly wind‐blown Sahara dust and marine (re)‐deposition and describe present‐day aeolian processes that are in operation in the region. We investigate the mineralogy of Sahara dust that is currently deposited in the Canary Islands and discuss source areas and intra‐transport fractionation of mineral dust during trans‐Atlantic transport. Finally, we explore how present‐day dust deposition can be used as analogue to explain the deposition of pre‐island continental material in the East‐Atlantic Ocean basin beneath the Canary archipelago and we show how the dust‐derived sedimentary deposits can be utilized as geological tool in the Canary Islands.
Lincoln's sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) increases singing rate in areas with chronic industrial noise
Authors: Sánchez Natalie V. , Bayne Erin M. , Hilje Branko
Published: December 2022

Animal communication is effective when the transmitted signal reaches the receiver and induces a behavioural response. Increases in anthropogenic noise are altering the ways animals communicate. A common adaptation shown by bird species to anthropogenic noise is song frequency shifts, but birds may also adapt their ability to communicate in noisy environments in other ways. We compared the vocal features of Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii breeding in noisy areas (compressor stations) and in quiet areas in Northern Alberta, Canada. We hypothesized that Lincoln's Sparrow could (1) shift its songs to avoid masking, resulting in higher‐frequency songs, and/or (2) change song allocation (singing rate, number of songs), resulting in improved song transmission. Additionally, we tested the effect of distance and height on song transmission close to a noisy compressor station and in a quiet area to determine if behavioural adaptations might allow more effective song transmission. We did not find frequency shifts between quiet and noisy areas. However, we found birds singing at higher song rates in noisy areas, supporting the song allocation hypothesis. Interestingly, the number of song types sung in noisy sites was fewer than in quiet areas. Distance influenced song transmission differently in noisy and quiet areas, as the signal to noise ratio was substantially less at 20 m in noisy areas than in the control. A higher singing rate may therefore compensate for reduced song transmission by increasing the likelihood of being heard by conspecifics in noisy areas. We found evidence of song adaptation by Lincoln's Sparrow to deal with anthropogenic noise, but whether it is sufficient to facilitate long‐distance communication used to attract females and in male–male interactions remains unknown.
The impact of face masks on infants' learning of faces: An eye tracking study
Authors: DeBolt Michaela C. , Oakes Lisa M.
Published: December 2022

This preregistered study examined how face masks influenced face memory in a North American sample of 6‐ to 9‐month‐old infants (N = 58) born during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Infants' memory was tested using a standard visual paired comparison (VPC) task. We crossed whether or not the faces were masked during familiarization and test, yielding four trial types (masked‐familiarization/masked‐test, unmasked‐familiarization/masked‐test, masked‐familiarization/unmasked‐test, and unmasked‐familiarization/unmasked‐test). Infants showed memory for the faces if the faces were unmasked at test, regardless of whether or not the face was masked during familiarization. However, infants did not show robust evidence of memory when test faces were masked, regardless of the familiarization condition. In addition, infants' bias for looking at the upper (eye) region was greater for masked than unmasked faces, although this difference was unrelated to memory performance. In summary, although the presence of face masks does appear to influence infants' processing of and memory for faces, they can form memories of masked faces and recognize those familiar faces even when unmasked.
The phase structure, thermodynamic properties, and dissolution behavior of Ca5Mg4V6O24
Authors: Pei Guishang , Xiang Junyi , Jung In‐Ho , Jiao Mengjiao , Li Zhuoyang , Lv Xuewei
Published: December 2022

A Ca5Mg4V6O24 compound was synthesized through solid‐state roasting routes under an air atmosphere, and its crystal structure and thermodynamic properties were determined using various methods. The cell parameters of Ca5Mg4V6O24 indicate that it crystallizes in cubic space group Ia3d with the unit cell parameters a = 12.442 ± 0.001 Å. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy also confirmed that the vanadium element in the Ca5Mg4V6O24 sample is present in the +5 state. The melting of Ca5Mg4V6O24 was detected at 1442 K. The molar heat capacity (374 J mol K−1) and entropy (688.2 J mol K−1) of Ca5Mg4V6O24 at 298.15 K were determined using physical properties measurement system, and simultaneous thermal analyzer for the first time. The solubility of Ca5Mg4V6O24 in water at different temperatures was measured and its dissolution behavior in sulfuric acid and kinetics was experimentally established.
A risk model for decline in health status after acute myocardial infarction among older adults
Authors: Hajduk Alexandra M. , Dodson John A. , Murphy Terrence E. , Chaudhry Sarwat I.
Published: December 2022

Background

Health status is increasingly recognized as an important patient‐centered outcome after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Yet drivers of decline in health status after AMI remain largely unknown in older adults. We sought to develop and validate a predictive risk model for health status decline among older adult survivors of AMI.

Methods

Using data from a prospective cohort study conducted from 2013 to 2017 of 3041 patients age ≥75 years hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction at 94 U.S. hospitals, we examined a broad array of demographic, clinical, functional, and psychosocial variables for their association with health status decline, defined as a decrease of ≥5 points in the Short Form‐12 (SF‐12) physical component score from hospitalization to 6 months post‐discharge. Model selection was performed in logistic regression models of 20 imputed datasets to yield a parsimonious risk prediction model. Model discrimination and calibration were evaluated using c‐statistics and calibration plots, respectively.

Results

Of the 2571 participants included in the main analyses, 30% of patients experienced health status decline from hospitalization to 6 months post‐discharge. The risk model contained 14 factors, 10 associated with higher risk of health status decline (age, pre‐existing AMI, pre‐existing cancer, pre‐existing COPD, pre‐existing diabetes, history of falls, presenting Killip class, acute kidney injury, baseline health status, and mobility impairment) and four associated with lower risk of health status decline (male sex, higher hemoglobin, receipt of revascularization, and arrhythmia during hospitalization). The model displayed good discrimination (c‐statistic = 0.74 in validation cohort) and calibration (p > 0.05) in both development and validation cohorts.

Conclusions

We used split sampling to develop and validate a risk model for health status decline in older adults after hospitalization for AMI and identified several risk factors that may be modifiable to mitigate the threat of this important patient‐centered outcome. External validation of this risk model is warranted.
Polyphase tectonic reworking of serpentinites and chlorite‐tremolite‐talc rocks (SW Spain) from the subduction forearc to intracontinental emplacement
Authors: Ábalos Benito , Puelles Pablo , Gil Ibarguchi José Ignacio
Published: December 2022

The petrostructural and geochronological study of a poorly known ultramafic unit from SW Spain (Badajoz–Córdoba belt) combined with previous structural data permits disclosure of a history of metasomatism, tectono‐metamorphism, reworking and isotopic resetting related to a poly‐orogenic evolution in different geodynamic scenarios. The heterogeneous ultramafic unit studied contains antigorite‐serpentinites and metasomatized ultramafic rocks (chlorite‐talc schists, tremolite‐talc‐chlorite rocks and magnesio‐hornblende‐chlorite rocks). Mantle‐wedge serpentinization was followed by Si and Al pre‐ to syn‐metamorphic/tectonic metasomatism in a subduction realm. Petrofabrics of selected lithologies reveal variable syn‐metamorphic crystal‐plastic deformation and recrystallization (assisted by other mechanisms) under relative high pressure, concomitant with the conditions recorded by neighbouring tectonic units that were later intruded by Ordovician granites. The resultant ensemble was reworked and isotopically reset much later in an intracontinental ductile shear zone. Syn‐ to late‐tectonic apatite from chlorite‐talc schists provides an anchored Tera–Wassenburg isochron radiometric age of 342.8 ± 12.2 Ma that provides evidence for the decoupling between isotopic systems and microstructures. The results are discussed from a twofold perspective: with regard to the likely tectonic context of this ophiolite (the current analogue of the Mariana forearc) and with regard to regional geological implications.
Causes of preterm birth: Genetic factors in preterm birth and preterm infant phenotypes
Authors: Dauengauer‐Kirlienė Svetlana , Domarkienė Ingrida , Pilypienė Ingrida , Žukauskaitė Gabrielė , Kučinskas Vaidutis , Matulevičienė Aušra
Published: December 2022

Aim

The aim is to provide an overview of recent research on genetic factors that influence preterm birth in the context of neonatal phenotypic assessment.

Methods

This is a nonsystematic review of the recent scientific literature.

Results

Maternal and fetal genetic diversity and rare genome variants are linked with crucial immune response sites. In addition, more frequent in preterm neonates, de novo variants may lead to attention deficits, hyperactivity, autism spectrum disorders, and infertility of both sexes later in life. Environmental factors may also greatly burden fetal, and consequently, neonatal development and neurodevelopment through a failure in the fetal epigenome reprogramming process and even influence the initiation of spontaneous preterm pregnancy termination. Minimally invasive analysis of the transcription factors associated with preterm birth helps elucidate labor mechanisms and predict its timing. We also provide valuable summaries of genomic and transcriptomic factors that contribute to preterm birth.

Conclusions

Investigation of the human genome, epigenome, and transcriptome helps to identify molecular mechanisms linked with preterm delivery and premature newborn clinical appearance in early and late neonatal life and even predict developmental outcomes. Further studies are needed to fully understand the implications of genetic changes in preterm births. These data could be used to develop targeted interventions aimed at selecting the most effective individual treatment and rehabilitation plan.
‘‘Reclaiming our time’’: Black mothers cultivating the homeplace during times of crisis
Authors: Coleman‐King Chonika , Brown Taryrn T. C , Haynes‐Thoby Latoya , Dowie‐Chin Tianna
Published: December 2022

This collaborative auto‐ethnography provides an account of the sociohistorical context of Black mothering in the United States and highlights how our complex, intersectional identities as Black‐(other)mother‐scholars shape our cultivation of the homeplace—a place where Black children are nurtured as “subjects, not objects,” in a society that aims to dominate black bodies. Drawing on Black feminism and Black Woman's Geographies, we document how time at home with our children during COVID‐19 allowed for critical dialogue regarding racial injustice and exposure to culturally sustaining educational content endeavored toward resilience building. This work highlights the strength of Black mothers’ collective experiences in fostering resilience amidst crises. Societal implications of COVID‐19 amidst ongoing racial traumas reify the need to reclaim not only our time as Black mothers, but also our voice, agency, and the spaces we cultivate for Black children's liberation. We also discuss recommendations for amplifying Black mothers’ voices in education policy efforts such that schools are better prepared to serve Black children.
What Does Explicit Knowledge Look Like? An Analysis of Information Structure in Rule Formation by L2 Learners and Its Relationship With Guided Inductive Learning
Authors: MALOVRH PAUL A. , LEE JAMES F.
Published: December 2022

Research examining rule formation and second language (L2) explicit knowledge during guided inductive instruction has focused on co‐constructed metalanguage or depth of processing (DoP) using think‐aloud protocols, but without analyzing rule features. Studies have not focused on the architecture of the rules that L2 learners create individually. The present study provides a research design that elicits rules in purposeful tasks controlled for uniformity across multiple participants (N = 20), establishing a framework to analyze explicit knowledge according to information structure and its relationship with language processing. Qualitative analyses yielded 4 main findings: (a) L2 explicit knowledge is learnable from guided induction, (b) it can be analyzed for information structure, (c) more complete information structure reflects greater DoP, and (d) explicit knowledge varies in its written information structure based on rule completeness, linguistic features included, and the order in which linguistic features are mentioned.
Impatiens sikaiensis sp. nov. (Balsaminaceae) from Sichuan, China
Authors: Ying Yuan , Hong Chen , Qiang Luo
Published: December 2022

Impatiens sikaiensis Q. Luo & Y. Yuan, a new species of the genus Impatiens from Zhaojue County, Sichuan, China, is described in detail with its morphological characteristics, photographs and physical drawings. The species resembles Impatiens uniflora morphologically but can be distinguished from the latter by its yellow flowers; ovate bracts with long‐cuspidate apex, 5–9 mm long; lateral sepals 6–12 mm long; dorsal petals with a narrowly cristate swelling at abaxial mid‐vein, and a rough tip at the apex. The micro‐morphological features and surface patterning of the pollen grains and seeds of the new species were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This revealed that the pollen grains of the new species typically have 5 angles and 5 germ furrows, which has not before been reported in the species of Impatiens commonly found in China.
Electrical devices for functional visceral pain
Authors: Camilleri Michael
Published: December 2022

Several studies have documented correction of dysmotility in several regions of the gastrointestinal tract based on electrical stimulation of extrinsic nerves supplying those regions. In this issue of Neurogastroenterology and Motility, Ma et al. (2023) document the effect of transcutaneous neuromodulation applied by acustimulation at ST36 for ineffective esophageal motility in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease. In addition to motor effects, there were also significant effects on GERD symptoms, raising the question whether extrinsic electrical nerve stimulation of the gut can reduce symptoms through effects that target sensation. This brief review summarizes evidence regarding the application of electrical acustimulation, transauricular electrical stimulation, and sacral electrical or magnetic stimulation to reduce abdominal or pelvic pain.
Longer epidermal cells underlie a quantitative source of variation in wheat flag leaf size
Authors: Zanella Camila M. , Rotondo Marilena , McCormick‐Barnes Charlie , Mellers Greg , Corsi Beatrice , Berry Simon , Ciccone Giulia , Day Rob , Faralli Michele , Galle Alexander , Gardner Keith A. , Jacobs John , Ober Eric S. , Sánchez del Rio Ana , Van Rie Jeroen , Lawson Tracy , Cockram James
Published: December 2022

The wheat flag leaf is the main contributor of photosynthetic assimilates to developing grains. Understanding how canopy architecture strategies affect source strength and yield will aid improved crop design.

We used an eight‐founder population to investigate the genetic architecture of flag leaf area, length, width and angle in European wheat. For the strongest genetic locus identified, we subsequently created a near‐isogenic line (NIL) pair for more detailed investigation across seven test environments.

Genetic control of traits investigated was highly polygenic, with colocalisation of replicated quantitative trait loci (QTL) for one or more traits identifying 24 loci. For QTL QFll.niab‐5A.1 (FLL5A), development of a NIL pair found the FLL5A+ allele commonly conferred a c. 7% increase in flag and second leaf length and a more erect leaf angle, resulting in higher flag and/or second leaf area. Increased FLL5A‐mediated flag leaf length was associated with: (1) longer pavement cells and (2) larger stomata at lower density, with a trend for decreased maximum stomatal conductance (Gsmax) per unit leaf area.

For FLL5A, cell size rather than number predominantly determined leaf length. The observed trade‐offs between leaf size and stomatal morphology highlight the need for future studies to consider these traits at the whole‐leaf level.
Genetics of fertility restoration in A2‐based cytoplasmic genetic male sterility system in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)
Authors: Ranjani M. S. , Jayamani P.
Published: December 2022

The three short duration cytoplasmic genetic male sterility (CGMS) hybrids developed using A2 (Cajanus scarabeoides) cytoplasm‐based male sterile lines (CORG 990047A, CORG 990052A and CORG 7A) and the restorer inbred AK 261322 and their segregating populations (F2 and BC1F1) were subjected to the study of inheritance of fertility restoration in pigeonpea. The fertility restoration was studied based on three different criteria, namely, anther colour, pollen grain fertility and pollen grain morphology and staining. The F2 and BC1F1 populations of the three crosses, namely, CORG 990047A × AK 261322, CORG 990052A × AK 261322 and CORG 7A × AK 261322, segregated in the ratio of 3:1 and 1:1, for anther colour (yellow:pale yellow), pollen grain fertility (fertile:sterile) and for pollen grain morphology and staining. The above study confirmed that the trait fertility restoration was controlled by single dominant gene. This finding can be utilized for the identification of potential restorers, which can be further used in the development of CGMS‐based hybrids in pigeonpea.
Linking genetic markers with an eco‐physiological model to pyramid favourable alleles and design wheat ideotypes
Authors: Li Yibo , Tao Fulu , Hao Yuanfeng , Tong Jingyang , Xiao Yonggui , Zhang He , He Zhonghu , Reynolds Matthew
Published: December 2022

Genetic markers can be linked with eco‐physiological crop models to accurately predict genotype performance and individual markers' contributions in target environments, exploring interactions between genotype and environment. Here, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield was dissected into seven traits corresponding to cultivar genetic coefficients in an eco‐physiological model. Loci for these traits were discovered through the genome‐wide association studies (GWAS). The cultivar genetic coefficients were derived from the loci using multiple linear regression or random forest, building a marker‐based eco‐physiological model. It is then applied to simulate wheat yields and design virtual ideotypes. The results indicated that the loci identified through GWAS explained 46%–75% variations in cultivar genetic coefficients. Using the marker‐based model, the normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) between the simulated yield and observed yield was 13.95% by multiple linear regression and 13.62% by random forest. The nRMSE between the simulated and observed maturity dates was 1.24% by multiple linear regression and 1.11% by random forest, respectively. Structural equation modelling indicated that variations in grain yield could be well explained by cultivar genetic coefficients and phenological data. In addition, 24 pleiotropic loci in this study were detected on 15 chromosomes. More significant loci were detected by the model‐based dissection method than considering yield per se. Ideotypes were identified by higher yield and more favourable alleles of cultivar genetic traits. This study proposes a genotype‐to‐phenotype approach and demonstrates novel ideas and tools to support the effective breeding of new cultivars with high yield through pyramiding favourable alleles and designing crop ideotypes.
Partnering to prepare: An academic/workforce collaboration to develop disaster shelter training for nurses
Authors: Nouredini Sahar , Holbrook Katherine , Ladua Zerlyn
Published: December 2022

In California, more frequent, intense, and destructive wildfires have prompted public health departments to enhance disaster response plans as evacuations and shelter needs increase. In addition, individuals utilizing shelters have increasingly complex medical and behavioral health needs and are accessing shelters for longer periods of time. Public health nurses (PHNs) are often called to staff disaster shelters but may have less recent experience in, or comfort with, direct patient care. Many health departments are experiencing challenges developing sustainable training infrastructure that prepares PHNs to deliver direct patient care in disaster shelters. Partnering with academic institutions can address this challenge. This article describes a partnership between a regional collaborative of health jurisdictions and a public university to train public health nurses to work in disaster shelters. The training demonstrates a sustainable way to instruct public health nurses while also highlighting the potential of partnerships between academic institutions and local health departments to address disaster preparedness and response needs in a community. Public health nurses are essential to public health preparedness and providing additional training can augment their ability to respond to disasters.
Inhibition of cholesterol transport impairs Cav‐1 trafficking and small extracellular vesicles secretion, promoting amphisome formation in melanoma cells
Authors: Peruzzu Daniela , Boussadia Zaira , Fratini Federica , Spadaro Francesca , Bertuccini Lucia , Sanchez Massimo , Carollo Maria , Matarrese Paola , Falchi Mario , Iosi Francesca , Raggi Carla , Parolini Isabella , Carè Alessandra , Sargiacomo Massimo , Gagliardi Maria Cristina , Fecchi Katia
Published: December 2022

Caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1) is a fundamental constituent of caveolae, whose functionality and structure are strictly dependent on cholesterol. In this work the U18666A inhibitor was used to study the role of cholesterol transport in the endosomal degradative‐secretory system in a metastatic human melanoma cell line (WM266‐4). We found that U18666A induces a shift of Cav‐1 from the plasma membrane to the endolysosomal compartment, which is involved, through Multi Vesicular Bodies (MVBs), in the formation and release of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). Moreover, this inhibitor induces an increase in the production of sEVs with chemical–physical characteristics similar to control sEVs but with a different protein composition (lower expression of Cav‐1 and increase of LC3II) and reduced transfer capacity on target cells. Furthermore, we determined that U18666A affects mitochondrial function and also cancer cell aggressive features, such as migration and invasion. Taken together, these results indicate that the blockage of cholesterol transport, determining the internalization of Cav‐1, may modify sEVs secretory pathways through an increased fusion between autophagosomes and MVBs to form amphisome, which in turn fuses with the plasma membrane releasing a heterogeneous population of sEVs to maintain homeostasis and ensure correct cellular functionality.
Granulocyte concentrate splitting does not affect phenotype and function
Authors: Koo Sebastian , Offner Robert , Haile Sophie‐Marie , Brosig Andreas , Hähnel Viola , Gruber Michael , Burkhardt Ralph , Ahrens Norbert
Published: December 2022

Background

More granulocyte concentrates (GCs) could be produced for more patients from the same donor if apheresis bags were split and stored for longer periods of time. Hence, we tested the hypothesis that splitting and extension of storage of GCs do not impair granulocyte function or viability.

Study Design and Methods

Granulocyte apheresis concentrates were produced using modified fluid gelatin as a separation enhancer, split into two portions, and stored for 24 and 48 h. Granulocyte function, represented by cell migration, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and neutrophil extracellular trap formation (NETosis), was measured by live‐cell imaging. ROS production, adhesive surface protein expression, and viability were measured by flow cytometry.

Results

Splitting had no effect on any of the tested parameters. After 24 h of storage, live‐cell imaging showed no significant difference in migration, time to maximum ROS production, time to half‐maximum NETosis, viability, or CD11b expression, but ROS production induced by phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) decreased from an initial median fluorescence intensity of 1775–590 artificial units. After 48 h, PMA‐induced ROS production, viability, and migration declined, as reflected by decreases in median total distance (119 vs. 63.5 μm) and median Euclidean distance (30.75 vs. 14.3 μm).

Conclusion

Splitting GC products has no effect on granulocyte viability or function, but extended storage >24 h does compromise granulocyte function. The findings confirm that GCs should be transfused within 24 h of collection. Longer storage cannot be recommended.
Oxidative degradation of sulfamethazine in aqueous solution by the activation of Na2S2O8 over vinasse‐derived N,S‐codoped mesoporous carbon
Authors: Xing Bo , Fu Chaoting , Yang Guo , Song Xiang , Liu Xingyong , Liu Xiaonan , Zhou Qiang , Pan Zhongcai , You Junjie , Ye Yuling
Published: December 2022

N,S‐codoped mesoporous carbon (S/NMC) as an effective catalyst toward the catalytic persulfate oxidation of sulfamethazine (SMZ) was fabricated conveniently using vinasse as the C/N source, Na2S as the S precursor and nano‐SiO2 as the template, respectively. The effect of S precursor dosage on the textural properties and surface chemistry of S/NMCs were characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption, Raman spectra, X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that more S precursor dosage presented an enhanced SMZ degradation performance due to the significant role of more S precursor dosage: (i) larger specific surface area and (ii) more active surface groups including pyridine N, graphite N, quinone‐like O and thiophene‐like S. In addition, quenching experiments showed that free radical and nonradical oxidation processes are the main processes of SMZ degradation. The findings provided a new idea for the resource utilization of vinasse and the development of catalytic persulfate oxidation of organic pollution.