bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Newly identified disorder of copper metabolism caused by variants in CTR1, a high-affinity copper transporter
Authors: Batzios Spyros , Tal Galit , DiStasio Andrew T , Peng Yanyan , Charalambous Christiana , Nicolaides Paola , Kamsteeg Erik-Jan , Korman Stanley H , Mandel Hanna , Steinbach Peter J , Yi Ling , Fair Summer R , Hester Mark E , Drousiotou Anthi , Kaler Stephen G
Published: August 2022

The high-affinity copper transporter CTR1 is encoded by CTR1 (SLC31A1), a gene locus for which no detailed genotype–phenotype correlations have previously been reported. We describe identical twin male infants homozygous for a novel missense variant NM_001859.4:c.284 G > A (p.Arg95His) in CTR1 with a distinctive autosomal recessive syndrome of infantile seizures and neurodegeneration, consistent with profound central nervous system copper deficiency. We used clinical, biochemical and molecular methods to delineate the first recognized examples of human CTR1 deficiency. These included clinical phenotyping, brain imaging, assays for copper, cytochrome c oxidase (CCO), and mitochondrial respiration, western blotting, cell transfection experiments, confocal and electron microscopy, protein structure modeling and fetal brain and cerebral organoid CTR1 transcriptome analyses. Comparison with two other critical mediators of cellular copper homeostasis, ATP7A and ATP7B, genes associated with Menkes disease and Wilson disease, respectively, revealed that expression of CTR1 was highest. Transcriptome analyses identified excitatory neurons and radial glia as brain cell types particularly enriched for copper transporter transcripts. We also assessed the effects of Copper Histidinate in the patients’ cultured cells and in the patients, under a formal clinical protocol. Treatment normalized CCO activity and enhanced mitochondrial respiration in vitro, and was associated with modest clinical improvements. In combination with present and prior studies, these infants’ clinical, biochemical and molecular phenotypes establish the impact of this novel variant on copper metabolism and cellular homeostasis and illuminate a crucial role for CTR1 in human brain development. CTR1 deficiency represents a newly defined inherited disorder of brain copper metabolism.
Racial Difference in Efficacy of Golimumab in Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Greywoode Ruby , Petralia Francesca , Ullman Thomas A , Frederic Colombel Jean , Ungaro Ryan C
Published: August 2022

Background

Observational studies have described racial differences in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) genetics, clinical manifestations, and outcomes. Whether race impacts response to biologics in IBD is unclear. We conducted a post hoc analysis of phase 2 and 3 randomized clinical trials in ulcerative colitis to evaluate the effect of race on response to golimumab.

Methods

We analyzed pooled individual-level data from induction and maintenance trials of golimumab through the Yale Open Data Access Project. The primary outcome was clinical response. Secondary outcomes were clinical remission and endoscopic healing. Multivariable logistic regression was performed comparing White vs racial minority groups (Asian, Black, or other race), adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

There were 1006 participants in the induction (18% racial minority) and 783 participants in the maintenance (17% racial minority) trials. Compared with White participants, participants from racial minority groups had significantly lower clinical response (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28-0.66), clinical remission (aOR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22-0.77), and endoscopic healing (aOR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.31-0.74) at week 6. Participants from racial minority groups also had significantly lower clinical remission (aOR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.28-0.74) and endoscopic healing (aOR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.41-0.96) at week 30. There were no racial differences in placebo response rates.

Conclusions

Ulcerative colitis participants from racial minority groups were less likely to achieve clinical response, clinical remission, and endoscopic healing with golimumab compared with White participants in induction and maintenance trials. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of race on therapeutic response in IBD.
Prognostic factors of 2018 FIGO stage IB-IIA cervical cancer with absence of high/ intermediate surgical-pathological risk factors
Authors: Shibuya Yusuke , Shimada Muneaki , Tsuji Keita , Shigeta Shogo , Tanase Yasuhito , Matsuo Koji , Yamaguchi Satoshi , Kanao Hiroyuki , Saito Toshiaki , Mikami Mikio
Published: August 2022

Objective

This retrospective analysis of a real-world database of open radical hysterectomy in Japan aimed to reveal the clinicopathological findings and clinical outcomes of low-risk patients with stage IB-IIA cervical cancer.

Methods

A total of 1143 stage IB1, IB2 and IIA1 (reclassified by FIGO 2018 staging system) patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy between January 2004 and December 2008 from the Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group database were analyzed. Low-risk patients were defined as those without a tumor size exceeding 4 cm, parametrial tumor involvement, deep (outer half) stromal invasion, lymphovascular space invasion or lymph nodal metastasis.

Results

61.2% (772/1262) patients with stage IB1, 32.1% (229/932) with stage IB2 and 16.9% (72/294) of stage IIA1 were classified into the low-risk group. The 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 98.4 and 93.7%, respectively. Histological classification did not affect the survival rates, but stage IIA cases had significantly lower overall survival and disease-free survival (83.5 and 93.8%, respectively) than stage IB cases. The independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival were older age (≧50), histology, clinical stage and clinical stage as independent prognostic factors for overall survival. Regarding recurrence, older age, non-SCC and stage IIA1 were independent risk factors for local recurrence, but stage IIA1 was the only independent risk factor for distant metastasis.

Conclusion

We found that stage IIA1 was the strongest risk factor for survival and recurrence of low-risk uterine cervical cancer (FIGO, 2018). In low-risk cases, stage IIA1 should be considered separately from stage IB.
Minimally invasive esophagectomy in the semi-prone position for corrosive esophagitis: a case report
Authors: Obitsu Tamotsu , Kiyozaki Hirokazu , Saito Masaaki , Fukai Shota , Abe Iku , Ichida Kosuke , Muto Yuta , Rikiyama Toshiki
Published: August 2022

Treatment strategies for corrosive esophagitis include conservative treatment, such as balloon dilatation at the stenosis site, and surgical treatment. Esophagectomy for corrosive esophagitis is usually performed through the transthoracic or transhiatal approaches. Herein, we report a case of corrosive esophagitis treated with thoracoscopic esophagectomy with the patient in the semi-prone position. The patient was a 48-year-old woman who developed corrosive esophagitis due to accidental ingestion of an alkaline agent. Surgical intervention was required for esophageal stenosis. Therefore, thoracoscopic esophagectomy was performed with the patient in the semi-prone position with bilateral pulmonary ventilation. In our hospital, good operative outcomes have been obtained using thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with the patient in the semi-prone position with bilateral pulmonary ventilation. This technique is also considered effective for the treatment of corrosive esophagitis.
Benchmarking animal handling outcomes on cow-calf operations and identifying associated factors
Authors: Calaba Elaine , Clowser Michaela , Weller Zachary D , Bigler Libby , Fulton Jesse , Edwards-Callaway Lily N
Published: August 2022

The assessment of animal handling is commonly included in cattle care programs. The guidelines set in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Beef Checkoff funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program are often used for assessing handling on feedlot, stocker, and cow-calf operations. There is limited information about animal handling on cow-calf operations. Thus, the objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify handling outcomes on cow-calf operations and compare them to national BQA program thresholds, and (2) investigate factors associated with handling outcomes. Researchers visited 76 operations across the United States to observe the following outcomes, adapted from the BQA program, during the processing of cows or yearling heifers: Prod Use, Miscatch, Vocalization, Jump, Slip/Stumble, Fall and Run. One hundred cows or less (depending on herd size) were observed moving through a restraint system at each operation. Other information specific to the animal type, facilities, and management were also gathered to be explored as potential predictors of handling outcomes. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics on an operation basis and analyzed with multi-predictor ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis tests to assess the relationship between outcomes and possible explanatory factors. Predictors included in the final analyses were: BQA certification (BQA), animal temperament (TEMP), region (REGION), chute style (CHUTE), and visual contact with humans (VISUAL). The 76 operations were sampled in 24 states (Central, n = 17; East, 30; West, 29), with herd sizes ranging from 10 animals to more than 5,000 animals. A total of 4,804 animals were observed. There were a substantial number of operations exceeding BQA thresholds for Prod Use (34.0%, 26), Miscatch (46.0%, 35), and Fall (31.6%, 24); the averages of these outcomes also exceeded the BQA thresholds (< 10%, 0%, and 2%, respectively). There was an association between Prod Use and several explanatory factors, including SIZE (P = 0.072), TEMP (P = 0.001), VISUAL (P = 0.027), and BQA (P = 0.104). Miscatch, Vocalization, and Fall all had single associated factors (REGION, P = 0.019; REGION, P = 0.002; VISUAL, P = 0.002, respectively). The VISUAL and TEMP factors had an association with the majority of outcomes. The findings suggest an opportunity for improving handling outcomes, which could be achieved through education and training support regarding the importance of animal handling on-farm. Future work should consider additional aspects of facilities and management that could impact cattle handling outcomes.
11Poetics
Authors: Dowling Sarah
Published: August 2022

This review examines five books published in the field of poetics in 2021: Andrea Brady’s Poetry and Bondage: A History and Theory of Lyric Constraint; Tobias Menely’s Climate and the Making of Worlds: Toward a Geohistorical Poetics; Kevin Quashie’s Black Aliveness, or A Poetics of Being; Rachel Zolf’s No One’s Witness: A Monstrous Poetics; and Timothy Yu’s Diasporic Poetics: Asian Writing in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Together, these texts reveal important new directions in historical poetics, and a growing closeness between poetics and Black studies. The chapter is structured under the following headings: 1. Introduction; 2. Historical Poetics; 3. Poetics and Black Studies; 4. Conclusion.
Prolonged Computer Use by Office Workers Induces Ocular Symptoms Associated With Tear Film Alterations and Overexpression of Mucin 5 AC and Catalase
Authors: Saavedra Morales Alejandra , González Díaz Cesar Antonio , Villanueva López Guadalupe Cleva , Padilla Juárez Omar , Luna Torres Ana Laura , Sánchez Monroy Virginia
Published: August 2022

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate office workers for symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS) and alterations in the tear film relate to the hours of daily computer use.

Methods

Sixty-seven volunteers were divided into 2 groups: 2 to 6 and 7 to 12 hours of daily computer use. Computer vision syndrome symptoms, tear film stability by tear film break-up time test, and composition of mucin 5 AC, catalase, and IL-6 was assessed by relative gene expression of conjunctival impression cytology samples were examined.

Results

All participants exhibited moderate symptoms of CVS, whereas 90% showed reduced tear film stability. For the 7- to 12-hour (vs 2- to 6-hour) group, these effects were more pronounced and overexpression of mucin 5 AC and catalase was detected.

Conclusions

Prolonged computer use induced an overexpression of mucin 5 AC and catalase and instability of the tear film, associated with ocular symptoms.
Diagnostic value of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 in pancreatic cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhao Boqiang , Zhao Boyue , Chen Fangyao
Published: August 2022

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is the most widely used serum biomarker for detecting pancreatic cancer (PC). Since early diagnosis is important for improving PC prognosis, a comprehensive understanding of the diagnostic performance of CA19-9 is critical. This study focused on comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy of CA19-9 in PC diagnosis. Literature research was based on the seven databases. Studies released from January 2002 to January 2022 focused on the efficacy of CA19-9 in the detection of PC were included. Summarized sensitivity, specificity, and sROC/accuracy of discrimination (AUC) were estimated. Potential publication bias was measured with Funnel plot and Egger’s test. Meta-regression was performed to detect possible causes of heterogeneity. Subgroup analysis was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of CA19-9 under different conditions. The study is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021253861). Seventy-nine studies containing 20 991 participants who met the criteria were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of CA19-9 in diagnose PC were 72% (95% CI, 71–73%), 86% (95% CI, 85–86%), and 0.8474 (95% CI, 0.8272–0.8676). Subgroup analysis suggested that the diagnostic efficiency of CA19-9 in studies with healthy controls was the highest, followed by intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, in pancreatitis and diabetes were consistent with the overall result. Our analysis showed that serum CA19-9 had high and stable diagnostic efficacy for PC (not affected by diabetes). Subgroup analysis showed that serum CA19-9 yielded highest effectiveness in the diagnosis of pancreatic precancerous lesions, which indicated an irreplaceable clinical value in the early detection and warning value for PC.
Technical Report: Automatic Measurement of Corneal Nerve Fiber Area Using Versatile Software
Authors: Shinji Koichiro , Chikama Taiichiro , Kiuchi Yoshiaki
Published: August 2022

SIGNIFICANCE

In vivo confocal microscopy has become a popular method to observe the details of corneal structures. We consider the area of corneal structures to be a versatile index and have measured the areas of various corneal structures using a commercially available software.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of software used to measure the corneal nerve fiber area.

METHODS

The corneal structures of 11 healthy volunteers were visualized using in vivo confocal microscopy. The image that most clearly depicted the corneal nerve fibers of each participant was selected for analysis. The corneal nerve fiber area was automatically measured by the software. An experienced ophthalmologist then manually measured the corneal nerve fiber area in each image assessed by the software. The Pearson correlation test was used to determine the correlation coefficient between the corneal nerve fiber areas measured automatically and those measured manually. The correlation between the corneal nerve fiber area and the participant's age was also evaluated.

RESULTS

A strong correlation was found between the corneal nerve fiber area measured automatically and the corneal nerve fiber area measured manually (r = 0.98, P = 2.4 × 10−7). The corneal nerve fiber area was not correlated with participant age, regardless of whether the area was measured automatically (r = −0.26, P = .44) or manually (r = −0.13, P = .71).

CONCLUSIONS

The software used in this study automatically measures the corneal nerve fiber area with accuracy similar to that of manual measurement by an experienced ophthalmologist. This software has potential for use in quantifying the areas of various corneal structures.
Fifty years of Schallamach waves: from rubber friction to nanoscale fracture
Authors: Viswanathan Koushik , Chandrasekar Srinivasan
Published: August 2022

The question of how soft polymers slide against hard surfaces is of significant scientific interest, given its practical implications. Specifically, such systems commonly show interesting stick–slip dynamics, wherein the interface moves intermittently despite uniform remote loading. The year 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of a seminal paper by Adolf Schallamach (
Wear
, 1971), which first revealed an intimate link between stick–slip and moving detachment waves, now called Schallamach waves. We place Schallamach’s results in a broader context and review subsequent investigations of stick–slip, before discussing recent observations of solitary Schallamach waves. This variant is not observable in standard contacts so that a special cylindrical contact must be used to quantify its properties. The latter configuration also reveals the occurrence of a dual wave—the so-called separation pulse—that propagates in a direction opposite to Schallamach waves. We show how the dual wave and other, more general, Schallamach-type waves can be described using continuum theory and provide pointers for future research. In the process, fundamental analogues of Schallamach-type waves emerge in nanoscale mechanics and interface fracture. The result is an ongoing application of lessons learnt from Schallamach-type waves to better understand these latter phenomena.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Nanocracks in nature and industry’.
Applicability of atomic force microscopy to determine cancer-related changes in cells
Authors: Lekka Małgorzata
Published: August 2022

The determination of mechanical properties of living cells as an indicator of cancer progression has become possible with the development of local measurement techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM). Its most important advantage is a nanoscopic character, implying that very local alterations can be quantified. The results gathered from AFM measurements of various cancers show that, for most cancers, individual cells are characterized by the lower apparent Young's modulus, denoting higher cell deformability. The measured value depends on various factors, like the properties of substrates used for cell growth, force loading rate or indentation depth. Despite this, the results proved the AFM capability to recognize mechanically altered cells. This can significantly impact the development of methodological approaches toward the precise identification of pathological cells.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Nanocracks in nature and industry’.
Mutational signatures and increased retrotransposon insertions in Xeroderma Pigmentosum variant skin tumors
Authors: Corradi Camila , Vilar Juliana B. , Buzatto Vanessa C. , de Souza Tiago A. , Castro Ligia P. , Munford Veridiana , De Vecchi Rodrigo , Galante Pedro A. F. , Orpinelli Fernanda , Buzzo José L. , Sotto Mirian N. , Saldiva Paulo , de Oliveira Jocelânio W. , Chaibub Sulamita C. W. , Sarasin Alain , Menck Carlos F. M.
Published: August 2022

Xeroderma Pigmentosum variant (XP-V) is an autosomal recessive disease with an increased risk to develop cutaneous neoplasms in sunlight exposed regions. These cells are deficient in the translesion synthesis DNA polymerase eta. Eleven skin tumors from a genetic cluster of XP-V patients had their exome sequenced. Mutational signatures identified for most tumors were related to ultraviolet exposure, such as C>T transitions targeted to pyrimidine dimers. However, four samples carry different mutational signatures, with C>A mutations associated with tobacco usage. Basal cell carcinomas showed a distinct C>A mutation spectra reflecting a novel mutational signature. Higher levels for retroposon insertions were detected in the XP-V tumors, compared to non-XP skin tumors. The results reveal other possible causes for XP-V tumors and the involvement of polymerase eta in suppressing retrotransposition. The expected high mutation burden, found in most of these tumors, renders these XP patients good candidates for immunotherapy with checkpoint blockers.
“Having a newborn is stressful enough:” Mothers’ experiences during the 2022 Infant Formula Shortage in Washington D.C.
Authors: Sylvetsky Allison C. , Hughes Sarah A. , Moore Hailey R. , Murphy Jeanne , Kuttamperoor Janae T. , Sacheck Jennifer , Smith Emily R.
Published: August 2022

Objective

To investigate mothers’ experiences during the 2022 infant formula shortage in the United States and its perceived impacts on infants’ diet and health.

Methods

Mothers of infants under 8 months old were recruited from Washington D.C. using social media and neighborhood listservs and invited to participate in a virtual study meeting between June 22 and July 14, 2022. Mothers completed a brief survey with questions about their demographic characteristics, infants’ anthropometric characteristics, and infant feeding practices, and participated in an in-depth, qualitative interview about their experiences during the infant formula shortage. Survey data were analyzed using means and frequencies, as appropriate. Qualitative interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and thematically analyzed.

Results

The sample (n=28) was predominantly White and highly educated. Five overarching themes were identified, including the shortage had: 1) adverse impacts on mothers’ mental and emotional health; 2) significant financial and intangible costs; and 3) led to changes in infant feeding practices; and, 4) social and family networks were helpful in navigating the shortage; and 5) mothers felt fortunate to have resources to breastfeed and/or obtain formula. Most mothers reported the shortage had not yet detrimentally impacted their infant’s health.

Conclusions

Even among highly educated women with access to financial, social, structural resources, the infant formula shortage adversely impacted mothers’ mental and emotional health, and has been costly, in terms of financial and intangible costs. Findings demonstrate the urgent need to develop strategies to support mothers in feeding their infants, especially mothers who may lack the resources to locate and obtain formula.
Determining the Class and Subclass of Monoclonal Antibodies Using Antibody Capture on Anti-Immunoglobulin Antibody-Coated Plates
Authors: Greenfield Edward A.
Published: August 2022

By definition, a monoclonal antibody should only be of a single class or subclass. Each class of antibody is associated with specific functions, and it can be useful to know the class/subclass of the monoclonal antibody produced by a specific hybridoma. In this protocol, class/subclass-specific antibodies are used to capture the monoclonal antibody from hybridoma supernatant. If the antibody is clonal, it will only be bound by one anti-heavy-chain capture antibody and one anti-light-chain antibody. No antigen is required.
Golgi Silver Staining of Mosquito Central Neuropils
Authors: Ignell Rickard , Hill Sharon Rose
Published: August 2022

The Golgi silver staining procedure relies on three interdependent stages: fixation, chromation, and metal impregnation. Each of these stages can be modified. This protocol describes a method demonstrated to stain neurons within the mosquito central nervous system. The resulting preparations are stable at room temperature.
The Golgi Method
Authors: Ignell Rickard , Hill Sharon Rose
Published: August 2022

Silver staining by the Golgi method is a classical procedure to identify the three-dimensional morphology of individual neurons. Although the method was developed in the 1870s, it is still used to study the morphological characteristics of neuron types in the central nervous system, either alone or in combination with other neuroanatomical techniques. The neuropil of insects is fully accessible to the original refractive staining procedure, and modifications of the Golgi technique have paved the path for modern structural research on the insect central nervous system. Here, we provide an introduction to this easy and low-cost method.
Patch-Clamping Fly Brain Neurons
Authors: Fernandez-Chiappe Florencia , Muraro Nara I.
Published: August 2022

The membrane potential of excitable cells, such as neurons and muscle cells, experiences a rich repertoire of dynamic changes mediated by an array of ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels. Central neurons, in particular, are fantastic computators of information, sensing, and integrating multiple subthreshold currents mediated by synaptic inputs and translating them into action potential patterns. Electrophysiology comprises a group of techniques that allow the direct measurement of electrical signals. There are many different electrophysiological approaches, but, because Drosophila neurons are small, the whole-cell patch-clamp technique is the only applicable method for recording electrical signals from individual central neurons. Here, we provide background on patch-clamp electrophysiology in Drosophila and introduce protocols for dissecting larval and adult brains, as well as for achieving whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of identified neuronal types. Patch clamping is a labor-intensive technique that requires a great deal of practice to become an expert; therefore, a steep learning curve should be anticipated. However, the instant gratification of neuronal spiking is an experience that we wish to share and disseminate, as many more Drosophila patch clampers are needed to study the electrical features of so many fly neuronal types unknown to date.
Towards real-time analysis of liquid jet alignment in serial femtosecond crystallography
Authors: Patel Jaydeep , Round Adam , Bielecki Johan , Doerner Katerina , Kirkwood Henry , Letrun Romain , Schulz Joachim , Sikorski Marcin , Vakili Mohammad , de Wijn Raphael , Peele Andrew , Mancuso Adrian P. , Abbey Brian
Published: August 2022

Liquid sample delivery systems are used extensively for serial femtosecond crystallography at X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs). However, misalignment of the liquid jet and the XFEL beam leads to the X-rays either partially or completely missing the sample, resulting in sample wastage and a loss of experiment time. Implemented here is an algorithm to analyse optical images using machine vision to determine whether there is overlap of the X-ray beam and liquid jet. The long-term goal is to use the output from this algorithm to implement an automated feedback mechanism to maintain constant alignment of the X-ray beam and liquid jet. The key elements of this jet alignment algorithm are discussed and its performance is characterized by comparing the results with a manual analysis of the optical image data. The success rate of the algorithm for correctly identifying hits is quantified via a similarity metric, the Dice coefficient. In total four different nozzle designs were used in this study, yielding an overall Dice coefficient of 0.98.
Agricultural carbon footprint and food security: an assessment of multiple carbon mitigation strategies in China
Authors: Kong Xiangwen , Su Liufang , Wang Heng , Qiu Huanguang
Published: August 2022

Purpose

To achieve the dual goals of decarbonization and food security, this paper examines China's carbon footprint reduction in 2050 based on current mitigation strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Considering publications as featured evidence, this study develops an investigation of agricultural decarbonization in China. First, the authors summarize the mitigation strategies for agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the existing literature. Second, the authors demonstrate the domestic food production target in 2050 and the projection target's projected life-cycle-based GHG emissions at the commodity level. Lastly, the authors forecast China's emission removal in the agri-food sector in 2050 concerning current mitigation strategies and commodity productions. The authors highlight the extent to which each mitigation strategy contributes to decarbonization in China.

Findings

Practices promoting sustainable development in the agri-food sector significantly contribute to GHG emission removal. The authors find mitigation strategies inhibiting future GHG emissions in the agri-food sector comprise improving nitrogen use efficiency in fertilizers, changing food consumption structure, manure management, cover crops, food waste reduction, dietary change of livestock and covered manure. A 10% improvement in nitrogen use efficiency contributes to 5.03% of GHG emission removal in the agri-food sector by 2050. Reducing food waste and food processing from 30% to 20% would inhibit 1.59% of the total GHG emissions in the agri-food sector.

Originality/value

This study contributes to policy discussions by accounting for agricultural direct and indirect emission components and assessing the dynamic changes in those related components. This study also extends existing research by forecasting to which extent the decarbonization effects implemented by current mitigation strategies can be achieved while meeting 2050 food security in China.
The efficiency of healthcare systems in the Arab countries: a two-stage data envelopment analysis approach
Authors: El Husseiny Israa A.
Published: August 2022

Purpose

This study aims at evaluating the technical efficiency (TE) of healthcare systems in the Arab region and exploring the key factors that affect the efficiency performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applies a two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach to a sample of 20 Arab countries. In the first stage, a DEA model is used to calculate the TE scores of the examined healthcare systems in 2019 and 2010, following both the output and input orientations of efficiency. In the second stage, a censored Tobit model is estimated to investigate the determinants of healthcare efficiency.

Findings

DEA results of 2019 indicate that achievable efficiency gains of the Arab countries range from 0.4% to 16% under the output and input orientations, respectively. Six countries are efficient under both orientations. Although the average efficiency scores of the Arab countries have deteriorated between 2010 and 2019, Djibouti and Sudan had the greatest efficiency improvements between the two years. Bahrain, Mauritania, Morocco and Qatar proved to be efficient in 2010 and 2019 under the two orientations of efficiency and according to the two DEA specifications followed. The Tobit model reveals that corruption and government health expenditure tend to have an adverse impact on healthcare efficiency.

Originality/value

The author evaluates healthcare efficiency and healthcare's efficiency determinants in the Arab countries. Regardless Arab countries' diversity, these countries are facing common health challenges, including diminishing role of governments in healthcare financing; increased out-of-pocket healthcare spending; poor healthcare outputs and prevalence of health inequities resulting from weak governance institutions. Comparing the efficiency of healthcare systems between 2010 and 2019 gives insights on the potential impact of the Arab spring uprisings on healthcare efficiency. Moreover, examining the determinants of healthcare efficiency allows for better understanding of how to improve the efficiency of healthcare systems in the region.
Clinical severity scores as a guide for prediction of initial treatment responses in pemphigus and pemphigoid patients
Authors: Tanaka Ryo , Kurihara Yuichi , Egami Shohei , Saito Yasuko , Ouchi Takeshi , Funakoshi Takeru , Takahashi Hayato , Umegaki‐Arao Noriko , Kubo Akiharu , Tanikawa Akiko , Amagai Masayuki , Yamagami Jun
Published: August 2022

Pemphigus and pemphigoid are autoimmune blistering diseases that affect mucosa and skin. Several clinical scoring systems, including the pemphigus disease area index (PDAI) and the bullous pemphigoid disease area index (BPDAI), have been validated for managing disease activity and severity. Current guidelines recommend that treatment response be evaluated with clinical scores and that additional second‐line therapies be considered if initial treatment is insufficient for disease control. However, there have been few studies analyzing correlations between PDAI/BPDAI transitions and initial treatment effects. To investigate whether PDAI/BPDAI transitions during the treatment initiation phase correlate with initial treatment responses and whether such information can be used as a guide for necessary additional treatment, we retrospectively analyzed 67 pemphigus patients and 47 pemphigoid patients who received initial treatment at Keio University between 2012 and 2018. The clinical symptoms were evaluated weekly with PDAI/BPDAI. The patients were divided into two groups: in group A, disease was controlled only with oral corticosteroids and immunosuppressants (initial treatment), whereas in group B additional therapies were required due to insufficient responses. In pemphigus, the PDAI ratio of day 7/day 0 was significantly reduced in group A compared to group B (0.548 vs 0.761, P < 0.01) after initial treatment had started. In pemphigoid, the ratios of day 7/day 0 of BPDAI (erosion/blister) and BPDAI (urticaria/erythema) significantly decreased in group A compared to group B (0.565 vs 0.901 and 0.350 vs 0.760, respectively, P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic analyses on PDAI, BPDAI (erosion/blister) and BPDAI (urticaria/erythema) revealed that the cut‐off values in the ratios of day 7/day 0 were 0.762, 0.675, and 0.568, respectively. Our results suggest that PDAI/BPDAI transitions during the initial phase of the treatments may be useful to predict the outcome of the treatment provided and the necessity of additional therapies to achieve disease control.
Pandemic precarity
Authors: Cassiman Ann , Eriksen Thomas Hylland , Meinert Lotte
Published: August 2022

This editorial highlights how the Covid‐19 pandemic has magnified precarity as a global life condition. At the same time, it has also emphasized inequality and exposed how some lives are more precarious than others. Those working in the so‐called informal economy have been proportionally harder hit. In sub‐Saharan Africa, where most of the economy is informal, many rely on improvisation tactics for everyday survival and well‐being. Yet, in order to grasp these everyday tactics, the authors suggest that we move beyond two stereotypical ideas about Africa: the suffering and the resilient precariat. The discourse on precarity is often misleading and patronizing, pointing to the ways humans either suffer or transcend victimhood. In everyday lives, humans devise tactics — within larger structures and strategies beyond our control, such as the global pandemic — for making a living and creating lives worth living.
About two seal‐impressed jars from Tell Abraq (Emirate of Umm al‐Quwain). New evidence for intercultural networks in the lower Arabian Gulf in the late 2nd – beginning of the 1st millennium BC
Authors: Majchrzak Dominika , Esposti Michele Degli
Published: August 2022

Ongoing excavations at Tell Abraq (Emirate of Umm al‐Quwain, U.A.E.) are revealing new aspects of this multiperiod site, which was occupied from c. 2500 BC to 300 AD. Together with substantial architecture dated to the 2nd and 1st millennia BC, relevant assemblages of archaeological materials are being collected and dated to different phases of the site’s life. Among this material, exceptional is the discovery of two jars bearing the impression of two different cylinder seals, which will be presented here. Seal impressions on any media are extremely rare in the whole of south‐eastern Arabia and strongly indicate a foreign provenance for the jars. Their iconographic study, the fabric and morphological parallels for the jars, and probable chronology will be discussed, as this can highlight transmarine connections during the late 2nd‐first half of the 1st millennium BC, as well as provide new data to address chronological issues in south‐eastern Iran itself.
Care During Pandemic Times: Digital Ethnography with Mental Health Professionals in Equatorial Guinea
Authors: Nvé Díaz San Francisco Carolina
Published: August 2022

This article discusses how the COVID‐19 pandemic impacted my anthropological research inquiry of care among mental health professionals at a community shelter and a psychiatric hospital in Equatorial Guinea. The rapidly evolving changes required the methods of digital anthropology, which allowed an understanding of embodiments of care. Under volatile conditions and intersections between the personal and the public, mental health professionals carried and invested care in communities and (re)discovered new challenges and vulnerabilities. Medical agencies revealed symbolic roles, meanings, and qualities of care. This article proposes opportunities for the discipline of public anthropology to serve as a medium for the engagement of collective solutions. [anthropology, mental health care, Equatorial Guinea, COVID‐19]
Visual impairment due to age‐related macular degeneration during 40 years in Finland and the impact of novel therapies
Authors: Purola Petri , Kaarniranta Kai , Ojamo Matti , Gissler Mika , Uusitalo Hannu
Published: August 2022

Purpose

To evaluate the changes in visual impairment (VI) due to age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) during the past 40 years and the impact of novel therapies at population level.

Methods

In this nationwide register‐based study, we assessed the incidence, prevalence, severity, and onset age of VI due to AMD based on the Finnish Register of Visual Impairment data from 1980 to 2019. Our data included 30 016 visually impaired persons with AMD as the main diagnosis for VI. The number of persons treated with intravitreal injections in Finland was obtained from hospital data kept by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

Results

Between the 1980s and the 2010s, the incidence of reported VI doubled; however, this increase has stagnated in the 2010s. Since 2012, the prevalence of reported VI has decreased. The number of patients treated with intravitreal injections showed a 40‐fold increase during 2005–2019. The severity of reported VI has decreased whereas the mean age at the onset of reported VI has increased during the 40 years. The age‐adjusted incidence and prevalence of reported VI were significantly higher in females in comparison to males in all decades.

Conclusion

Increase in the incidence and prevalence of VI due to AMD in the past decades has stagnated and shifted to older age in the 2010s when therapies for exudative class became commonly available. Furthermore, the prognosis of VI has improved during the past 40 years. These positive trends are likely contributable to improved diagnostic tools, earlier diagnoses, and new therapy options.
Affirmative action in healthcare resource allocation: Vaccines, ventilators and race
Authors: Zohny Hazem , Davies Ben , Wilkinson Dominic
Published: August 2022

This article is about the potential justification for deploying some form of affirmative action (AA) in the context of healthcare, and in particular in relation to the pandemic. We call this Affirmative Action in healthcare Resource Allocation (AARA). Specifically, we aim to investigate whether the rationale and justifications for using prioritization policies based on race in education and employment apply in a healthcare setting, and in particular to the COVID‐19 pandemic. We concentrate in this article on vaccines and ventilators because these are both highly scarce resources in the pandemic, and there has been a need to develop policies for allocating them. However, as will become clear, the ethical considerations relating to them may diverge. We first set out two rationales for AAs and what they might entail in a healthcare setting. We then consider some disanalogies between AA and AARA, as well as the different implications of AARA for allocating ventilators as opposed to vaccines. Finally, we consider some of the practical ways in which AARA could be implemented, and conclude by responding to some key objections.
Moral enhancement, acquired virtue, and theism: A response to Brummett and Crutchfield
Authors: Colgrove Nicholas , McAllister Derek , Rea Burke
Published: August 2022

Recently, Brummett and Crutchfield advanced two critiques of theists who object to moral enhancement. First, a conceptual critique: theists who oppose moral enhancement commonly do so because virtue is thought to be acquired only via a special kind of process. Enhancement does not involve such processes. Hence, enhancement cannot produce virtue. Yet theists also commonly claim that God is perfectly virtuous and not subject to processes. If virtue requires a process and God is perfectly virtuous without a process, however, then theists contradict themselves. Second, a moral critique: theists who reject moral enhancement are selfish, because accepting moral enhancement would (allegedly) reduce widespread suffering. Theists often condemn selfishness, however. By condemning selfishness and (simultaneously) rejecting enhancement, therefore, theists contradict themselves yet again. We argue that both critiques fail. Both substantially misrepresent their target. First, Brummett and Crutchfield confuse metaphysical enhancement (attempts to alter human nature) with moral enhancement (attempts to become better human beings). Authors that Brummett and Crutchfield cite object to the former, not the latter. Second, both conceptual and moral critiques overlook the many resources within theistic traditions that can quickly resolve relevant (alleged) contradictions. The conceptual critique, for example, misrepresents both common views held among theists (regarding God's virtue) and the ways in which virtue may be acquired. Similarly, the moral critique mischaracterizes the relationship commonly posited by theists between enhancement and agency. By attending to what theists actually claim—rather than relying on caricatures—it becomes clear that each of Brummett and Crutchfield's critiques fail.
Emotion‐related impulsivity and suicidal ideation: Towards a more specific model
Authors: Anvar Sarah , Swerdlow Benjamin A. , Jobes David , Timpano Kiara R. , Mandel Abby Adler , Kleiman Evan , Joiner Thomas , Johnson Sheri L.
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Suicidal ideation is a pervasive and painful experience that varies considerably in its phenomenology. Here, we consider how one key risk variable might inform our understanding of variation in suicidal ideation: emotion‐related impulsivity, the trait‐like tendency towards unconstrained speech, behaviour, and cognition in the face of intense emotions. We hypothesized that emotion‐related impulsivity would be tied to specific features, including severity, perceived lack of controllability, more rapidly fluctuating course, higher scores on a measure of acute suicidal affective disturbance, and more emotional and cognitive disturbance as antecedents.

Methods

We recruited two samples of adults (Ns = 421, 221) through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), with oversampling of those with suicidal ideation. Both samples completed psychometrically sound self‐report measures online to assess emotion‐ and non‐emotion‐related dimensions of impulsivity and characteristics of suicidal ideation.

Results

One form of emotion‐related impulsivity related to the severity, uncontrollability, dynamic course, and affective and cognitive precursors of ideation.

Conclusions

Despite limitations of the cross‐sectional design and self‐report measures, the current findings highlight the importance of specificity in considering key dimensions of impulsivity and suicidal ideation.
Textbook dune: Is there a representative and scale‐invariant beach‐dune profile?
Authors: Houser Chris , Smith Alex , Lunardi Brianna , George Elizabeth , Lehner Jacob
Published: August 2022

The Coastal Dune Model, used to examine controls on dune development and evolution, includes negative feedback between the wind and the evolving topography that results in a scale‐invariant beach‐dune profile. While a limited number of reference profiles appear to support the Coastal Dune Model assumption of scale‐invariance, previously published studies and conceptual models suggest that the beach‐dune profile is not scale‐invariant. Using a combination of journal articles, textbooks, and remotely sensed data from Prince Edward Island, Washington state, and Texas, this short communication finds that there is no evidence for a scale‐invariant beach‐dune profile within and between field sites. Variability in the beach‐dune profile is due to site‐specific and scale‐dependent controls on the beach and the dune that are often highlighted in the conceptual models that authors use to depict the controls on sediment supply and transport from the beach to the dune. Results highlight a need to critically evaluate the assumptions and applications of models such as the Coastal Dune Model, and to explore how and when sites can be considered representative and in support of model results.
“Peasants, Farmers, and Tractor Drivers”: Exploring the Power Relations between the Public Authorities and the Neo‐peasant Movement in Catalonia, Spain
Authors: Hummel Agata , Escribano Paula
Published: August 2022

This article focuses on power relations between the rural public authorities and the neo‐peasant movement in Catalonia (Spain). On the one hand, the public authorities promote a productivism‐oriented, professional model of farming informed by the Common Agricultural Policy. This policy results in the gradual disappearance of small‐scale agriculture. On the other hand, the neo‐peasant movement resists the productivist model of agriculture, proposing a new reinvented peasant model. We focus on how the discourses—images and labels—associated with these different models of agriculture are reproduced, perpetuated, and internalized by the different actors who use them to exercise power or resistance. More specifically, we analyze how the use of the concept of “professional farmer” is constructed as a new subjectivity and acts to exclude the peasant model of agriculture. We also explore how the concept of the “peasant” is used to resist this process of exclusion.
From pattern to process? Dual travelling waves, with contrasting propagation speeds, best describe a self‐organised spatio‐temporal pattern in population growth of a cyclic rodent
Authors: Roos Deon , Caminero‐Saldaña Constantino , Elston David , Mougeot François , García‐Ariza María Carmen , Arroyo Beatriz , Luque‐Larena Juan José , Revilla Francisco Javier Rojo , Lambin Xavier
Published: August 2022

The dynamics of cyclic populations distributed in space result from the relative strength of synchronising influences and the limited dispersal of destabilising factors (activators and inhibitors), known to cause multi‐annual population cycles. However, while each of these have been well studied in isolation, there is limited empirical evidence of how the processes of synchronisation and activation–inhibition act together, largely owing to the scarcity of datasets with sufficient spatial and temporal scale and resolution. We assessed a variety of models that could be underlying the spatio‐temporal pattern, designed to capture both theoretical and empirical understandings of travelling waves using large‐scale (>35,000 km2), multi‐year (2011–2017) field monitoring data on abundances of common vole (Microtus arvalis), a cyclic agricultural rodent pest. We found most support for a pattern formed from the summation of two radial travelling waves with contrasting speeds that together describe population growth rates across the region.