bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Women's representation in top management teams of emerging markets' multinationals in developed countries: A legitimacy perspective
Authors: Saeed Abubakr , Riaz Hammad , Riaz Safa
Published: June 2023

Numerous studies have documented the existence of legitimacy challenges that emerging markets multinational enterprises (EMNEs) face in foreign markets due to their national origin. However, there is limited understanding of the EMNEs' strategic responses to offset these country‐of‐origin related disadvantages. In this study, we conceptualize gender diversity management (GDM) as a strategic response of EMNEs to mitigate the legitimacy challenges in developed countries. Specifically, we argue that emerging markets firms increase women's representation in top management teams to overcome the liability of origin. We use legitimacy perspective to examine the effect of pervasiveness of institutional voids in emerging markets on women's representation in top management teams of EMNEs. Based on subsidiary‐level panel data of EMNEs from 20 emerging markets operating in developed countries from 2010 to 2019, our results show strong and robust evidence indicating that the pervasiveness of institutional voids at home is positively related to women's representation in top management teams of emerging markets firms. Additional analyses demonstrate that duration in the foreign market, market‐seeking intent, and state ownership further magnify this effect. These findings, besides significantly adding to the international human resource management literature, have managerial implications.
Association of glycemic gap with stroke recurrence in patients with ischemic stroke
Authors: Yuan Kang , Xie Mengdi , Hou Huajuan , Chen Jingjing , Zhu Xinyi , Wang Huaiming , Zhang Xiaohao , Xie Yi , Wu Min , Liu Rui , Liu Xinfeng
Published: June 2023

Background

Glycemic gap, as a novel index of acute glycemic excursion, is associated with poor prognosis of different diseases. This study aimed to explore the association of the glycemic gap with long‐term stroke recurrence in patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods

This study included patients with ischemic stroke from the Nanjing Stroke Registry Program. The glycemic gap was calculated by subtracting the estimated average blood glucose from the blood glucose at admission. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to explore the association between the glycemic gap and the risk of stroke recurrence. The Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression model was used to estimate the effects of the glycemic gap on stroke recurrence stratified by diabetes mellitus and atrial fibrillation.

Results

Among 2734 enrolled patients, 381 (13.9%) patients experienced stroke recurrence during a median follow‐up of 3.02 years. In multivariate analysis, glycemic gap (high group vs. median group) was associated with significantly increased risk for stroke recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.488; 95% confidence interval, 1.140–1.942; p = .003) and had varying effects on stroke recurrence depending on atrial fibrillation. The restricted cubic spline curve showed a U‐shaped relationship between the glycemic gap and stroke recurrence (p = .046 for nonlinearity).

Conclusion

Our study found that the glycemic gap was significantly associated with stroke recurrence in patients with ischemic stroke. The glycemic gap was consistently associated with stroke recurrence across subgroups and had varying effects depending on atrial fibrillation.
Economic consequences of announcing strategic alternatives: A voluntary disclosure's benefits and costs
Authors: Zha Giedt Jenny
Published: June 2023

This study examines the benefits and costs to a company of publicly announcing that it is seeking a potential sale or merger. I find that the announcement leads to increased market attention and a more robust merger and acquisition sales process—the benefits of improved transparency. However, I also find evidence of the announcement alienating stakeholders and increasing business disruption—the costs of credible disclosure. I document the countervailing valuation effects of these benefits and costs, where the net valuation effect depends on whether the company is subsequently acquired. This research is important because it (1) demonstrates the disclosure's impact on the company through multiple channels, (2) estimates the valuation effects, and (3) identifies key considerations for investors and other stakeholders who bear the consequences of such a disclosure.
Private information and bank‐loan pricing: The effect of upcoming corporate spinoffs
Authors: Hope Ole‐Kristian , Porumb Vlad‐Andrei , Rusanescu Simona , Vyas Dushyantkumar
Published: June 2023

Corporate spinoffs are important events that are accompanied by valuation and credit‐risk implications for the parent firm. Among other benefits, spinoffs can improve corporate focus and enhance valuation transparency. In the debt‐contracting context, however, spinoffs can also be associated with negative outcomes for the divesting firms. We examine whether banks, due to their timely access to material private information, are able to ascertain the likelihood and the implications of impending spinoffs for the parent firm before a formal public announcement of the spinoff. Our empirical analyses indicate that, in the 365‐day pre‐spinoff announcement period, banks charge incrementally higher (lower) spreads to borrowers with increased (decreased) post‐spinoff riskiness relative to nondivesting firms. This suggests that, while lenders recognize the value‐ and transparency‐enhancing effects of spinoffs, they are also able to foresee potentially negative implications of these divestitures. Cross‐sectional analyses indicate that banks charge incrementally lower loan spreads if spinoffs result in high‐risk borrowers having either higher reporting quality or lower reporting or operational complexity. These results suggest that the post‐spinoff increase in riskiness is compensated by the divestiture benefits typically associated with spinoffs. Similarly, high‐risk borrowers incur larger spreads if they do not undergo “focus‐increasing” spinoffs. Overall, our findings suggest that banks are able to ex ante determine the implications of important corporate events such as spinoffs.
Does gender and ethnic diversity among audit partners influence office‐level audit personnel retention and audit quality?
Authors: Condie Eric R. , Lisic Ling Lei , Seidel Timothy A. , Truelson Jonathan Michael , Zimmerman Aleksandra B.
Published: June 2023

Motivated by prior literature on organizational identification and 23 semistructured interviews with a variety of US audit partners and directors, we examine whether the gender and ethnic diversity of an office's audit partners influences the retention of the office's audit professionals and the quality of the audits conducted by the office. Using hand‐collected data on US audit partners, we find that greater levels of (or changes in) diversity in office audit partners' gender and ethnicity are associated with lower (reduced) turnover among office audit professionals and higher (increased) office‐level audit quality. We conduct a path analysis based on the most common mechanisms highlighted in our interviews to provide further insight into the audit quality results. The results indicate partial mediation through increased retention, greater gender and ethnic diversity among office audit personnel, client continuity, and increased efficiency. Further tests reveal that the association with audit quality is incremental to, and distinct from, the effect of individual engagement partner characteristics and does not reflect client screening. The findings underscore the importance of gender and ethnic diversity among office audit partners to organizational outcomes and provide important practical implications for audit firms.
Begomovirus diversity in tomato crops in Costa Rica
Authors: Valverde‐Méndez Karen , Hernández Eduardo J. , Matamoros Dennis , Barboza Natalia
Published: June 2023

Begomoviruses (Geminiviridae family) are characterized by their high recombination rate and a wide range of hosts, making their control difficult. In Costa Rica, various species of bipartite begomoviruses have been reported, which are Pepper golden mosaic virus (PepGMV), Tomato yellow mottle virus (ToYMoV), Tomato leaf curl Sinaloa virus (ToLCSiV) and the monopartite begomovirus Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). Since the TYLCV first report in Costa Rica, neither additional knowledge has been produced on how this begomovirus has spread in the country's territory nor on the distribution of the other bipartite species. A total of 429 tomato samples collected during the years 2015–2016 were used to study these aspects. Each sample was georeferenced and analysed with various techniques such as nucleic acid hybridization, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing for the begomoviruses previously reported in Costa Rica. It was found that the presence/absence of the different species can vary, depending on the province. TYLCV is present in the six provinces analysed in this work, with a proportion from 3.7 to 86.6 per cent. Alajuela, Cartago, and Heredia are the provinces most affected by tomato‐infecting begomoviruses. Fourteen different haplotypes of TYLCV were detected, but all were identified as TYLCV‐IL. The distribution of TYLCV was related to the presence of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci MED, especially in the country's main tomato production areas. This information allows the phytosanitary surveillance services to develop strategies for the integrated management of the disease and to contribute data to the genetic improvement programmes of the crop.
Community forests as beacons of conservation: Enabling local populations monitor their biodiversity
Authors: Fa Julia E. , Luiselli Luca
Published: June 2023

Habitat fragmentation is one of the main threats to biodiversity in Africa. In this article, we highlight the importance of conserving the Guinean forests of West Africa, which are rich in biodiversity and endemism but threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation. The size of forest patches is critical, with larger fragments containing more species than smaller ones. The protection of intact, dense forest patches is vital for any conservation strategy in West Africa, but improving the management of forests that are already used for logging and hunting is also essential. Community forests (CFs) can play a crucial role in conservation, especially if there is a substantial network that can promote ecological connectivity. However, biomonitoring in CFs remains a challenge due to inadequate resources. By developing standardised, easy‐to‐apply and inexpensive methods for biomonitoring, communities can be involved in biomonitoring instead of relying solely on scientists and expensive equipment. We present a monitoring framework here where we suggest local communities should become the main agents for biomonitoring in their own forests; we highlight a five‐step scheme. The importance of the various CFs in terms of conservation should be made through a combination of accurate, standardised face‐to‐face interviews with selected persons in the target communities and biomonitoring be based on the RAPELD scheme. The latter will be implemented after specifically training local ‘wise’ persons. We are proposing a kind of ‘citizen science’ scheme, applied to enhance the ability of local communities to monitor their own biodiversity.
Future climate change projections in the agroecological, bioclimatic, biogeographical and altitudinal vegetation zones of Morocco
Authors: Meliho Modeste , Khattabi Abdellatif , Braun Marco , Orlando Collins A.
Published: June 2023

Morocco is located in a region vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which can have profound effects on its social, economic and environmental systems. This makes studies aimed at forecasting these impacts in future using climate models particularly important. However, the generally coarse spatial resolution of models, combined with a large number of models, imposes a limitation on the models, allowing the selection of the most appropriate ones for climate change impact assessments in a specific region. In this study, 38 GCMs and GCM‐RCMs from CMIP5 ensemble and CORDEX project were downscaled and bias‐corrected for use in projecting climate change over Morocco under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. A three‐step sequential process was adopted, involving in that order the selection of models based on: (i) projection of climate means; (ii) projection of climate extremes; and (iii) ability of the models to simulate the baseline climate. Climate projections show precipitation decreases of up to 10% by the beginning of the century, with decreases of more than 20% under RCP8.5 projected by 2100, with the central and northern mountainous regions of the country being the most affected. Seasonal projections showed autumn months likely to experience the greatest decline in precipitation, up to 36.56% by the end of the century. Temperature projections revealed an upward trend in mean, maximum and minimum temperatures, with increases of up to 3°C predicted by mid‐century over most of the country, particularly in the winter months. Our results point to a concerning future, with impacts related to decreased precipitation and increased temperatures expected to be many and varied across the country. Nevertheless, they can help provide a knowledge base for efforts to mitigate and adapt to expected changes.
Validation of the relationship between rapid eye movement sleep and sleep‐related erections in healthy adults by a feasible instrument Fitbit Charge2
Authors: Liu Guodong , Zhang Yuyang , Zhang Wei , Wu Xu , Jiang Hui , Zhang Xiansheng
Published: June 2023

Background

Sleep, particularly rapid eye movement sleep, has been found to be associated with sleep‐related erections. While RigiScan is currently a more accurate method for monitoring nocturnal erectile events, the Fitbit, a smart wearable device, shows great potential for sleep monitoring.

Objectives

To analyze the relationship between sleep‐related erections and sleep by recruiting sexually active, healthy men for simultaneous monitoring of sleep and nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity.

Patients and methods

Using Fitbit Charge2 and RigiScan, we simultaneously monitored nocturnal sleep and erections in 43 healthy male volunteers, and analyzed the relationship between sleep periods and erectile events with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

Results

Among all erectile events, 89.8% were related to rapid eye movement, and 79.2% of all rapid eye movement periods were associated with erectile events. Moreover, a statistical correlation was shown between the duration of rapid eye movement and the time of total erectile events (first night: 𝜌 = 0.316, p = 0.039; second night: 𝜌 = 0.370, p = 0.015).

Discussion and conclusion

Our study shows a potential link between sleep‐related erections and rapid eye movement sleep, which has implications for the current examination of sleep‐related erections and further research into the mechanisms of erectile function. Meanwhile, the wearable device Fitbit has shown a potential promise for sleep monitoring in patients with erectile dysfunction. The results provide an alternative approach for further research on the relationship between erectile function and sleep with large sample sizes in the future.
Lactate as the sole energy substrate induces spontaneous acrosome reaction in viable stallion spermatozoa
Authors: Ramírez‐Agámez Luisa , Hernández‐Avilés Camilo , Ortíz Isabel , Love Charles C. , Varner Dickson D. , Hinrichs Katrin
Published: June 2023

Background

Equine spermatozoa appear to differ from spermatozoa of other species in using oxidative phosphorylation preferentially over glycolysis. However, there is little information regarding effects of different energy sources on measured parameters in equine spermatozoa.

Objective

To determine the effect of three individual energy substrates, glucose, pyruvate, and lactate, on motion characteristics, membrane integrity, and acrosomal status of stallion spermatozoa.

Materials and methods

Freshly ejaculated stallion spermatozoa were incubated with combinations of glucose (5 mm), pyruvate (10 mm), and lactate (10 mm) for 0.5 to 4 h. Response to calcium ionophore A23187 (5 μm) was used to evaluate capacitation status. Motility was evaluated using computer‐assisted sperm analysis, and plasma membrane and acrosomal integrity were evaluated by flow cytometry.

Results

Incubation with lactate alone for 2 h increased acrosomal sensitivity to A23187. Notably, incubation with lactate alone for 4 h induced a significant spontaneous increase in acrosome‐reacted, membrane‐intact (viable) spermatozoa, to approximately 50% of the live population, whereas no increase was seen with incubation in glucose or pyruvate alone. This acrosomal effect was observed in spermatozoa incubated at physiological pH as well as under alkaline conditions (medium pH approximately 8.5). Sperm motility declined concomitantly with the increase in acrosome‐reacted spermatozoa. Sperm motility was significantly higher in pyruvate‐only medium than in glucose or lactate. The addition of pyruvate to lactate‐containing medium increased sperm motility but reduced the proportion of live acrosome‐reacted spermatozoa in a dose‐dependent fashion.

Discussion

This is the first study to demonstrate that incubation with a specific energy substrate, lactate, is associated with spontaneous acrosome reaction in spermatozoa. The proportion of live, acrosome‐reacted spermatozoa obtained is among the highest reported for equine spermatozoa.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the delicate control of key sperm functions, and may serve as a basis to increase our understanding of stallion sperm physiology.
Efficacy of biologic and small molecule agents as second‐line therapy after exposure to TNF inhibitors in patients with ulcerative colitis: A propensity‐matched cohort study
Authors: Kochhar Gursimran S. , Desai Aakash , Farraye Francis A. , Cross Raymond K. , El‐Hachem Sandra , Dulai Parambir S. , Regueiro Miguel
Published: June 2023

Background

There is limited real‐world data on comparative effectiveness of different biologic or small molecule agents as second‐line therapies in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) with prior exposure to a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using TriNetX, a multi‐institutional database to assess the efficacy of tofacitinib, vedolizumab and ustekinumab in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) with prior exposure to a TNFi. Failure of medical therapy was defined as a composite outcome of intravenous steroids or colectomy within 2 years. One‐to‐one propensity score matching was performed for demographics, disease extent, mean haemoglobin, C‐reactive protein, albumin and calprotectin, prior IBD medications and steroid use between cohorts.

Results

Among 2141 patients with UC and prior exposure to TNFi, 348 (16.2%), 716 (33.4%) and 1077 (50.3%) were switched to tofacitinib, ustekinumab and vedolizumab, respectively. After propensity‐score matching, there was no difference in the composite outcome (aOR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.55–1.07) but higher risk of colectomy (aOR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.31–5.50) in the tofacitinib cohort than the vedolizumab cohort. There was no difference in the risk of composite outcome (aOR: 1.29, 95% CI: 0.89–1.86) but higher risk of colectomy (aOR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.24–5.58) in the tofacitinib cohort than the ustekinumab cohort. The vedolizumab cohort had a higher risk of composite outcome (aOR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.29–2.16) than the ustekinumab cohort.

Conclusion

Ustekinumab might be the preferred second‐line therapy over tofacitinib and vedolizumab in patients with UC that were previously exposed to a TNFi.
Baveno VI and VII criteria are not suitable for screening for large varices or clinically significant portal hypertension in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Allaire Manon , Campion Bertille , Demory Alix , Larrey Edouard , Wagner Mathilde , Rudler Marika , Roux Charles , Blaise Lorraine , Carrie Nathalie G. , Thabut Dominique
Published: June 2023

Background

Baveno VI and VII criteria are used in patients with cirrhosis to rule out large size oesophageal varices (EV) and rule in/out clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH).

Aim

To evaluate their diagnostic performance in these patients.

Methods

We retrospectively included all patients with Child‐Pugh A cirrhosis and HCC who had endoscopy, liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and platelet count within 6 months. They were classified according to the BCLC stage. Favourable Baveno VI criteria were defined by LSM < 20 kPa and platelets > 150 G/L (to rule out large EV), favourable Baveno VII criteria if LSM ≤ 15 kPa and platelets ≥ 150 G/L (to rule out CSPH, which was defined by a HVPG ≥ 10 mm Hg.

Results

We included 185 patients; 46% were BCLC‐0/A, 28% BCLC‐B and 26% BCLC‐C. EV were present in 44% (23% large), and HVPG ≥ 10 mm Hg in 42% (mean 8 mm Hg). In patients with favourable Baveno VI criteria, 8% of the whole cohort (Se 93%, NPV 92%), 11% of BCLC‐0‐A (Se 89%, NPV 89%) and 10.0% of BCLC‐C patients (Se 91%, NPV 90%) had large EV. Among patients with HVPG < 10 mm Hg, 6% had large EV and 17% small. CSPH was present in 23% of patients with favourable Baveno VII criteria among the whole cohort, and in 25% of those with BCLC‐0/A. The specificity of LSM ≥ 25 kPa to rule in CSPH was 48%.

Conclusions

Favourable Baveno VI criteria are not appropriate to rule out the presence of high‐risk EV, or Baveno VII criteria to rule CSPH in/out in patients with HCC.
Preparing surfaces for shredding: Skateboarding, repair, and care across scales
Authors: McDuie‐Ra Duncan , Campbell Jason
Published: June 2023

In cities around the world, skateboarders repair surfaces and objects for the purposes of play using techniques to fill, smooth, and fabricate. Research in social and cultural geography focuses on the ways citizens repair and care for material objects using do‐it‐yourself (DIY) practices. Despite continuities, repair work by skateboarders does not strive to improve neglected, absent, or dysfunctional infrastructure for the common good, as in cases from literature on DIY urbanism, nor to subvert objects, texts, and surfaces to make political statements, as in cases from literature on tactical urbanism. Skateboarders do repair and care work to prepare surfaces for playful damage benefitting other skaters and onlookers enjoying the spectacle. By exploring these widespread but under‐researched acts of repair and care and the circuits of knowledge that reproduce them, this paper makes four arguments. First, skateboarders do repair and care work to generate ‘spots’ for skateboarding from assemblages of objects and surfaces intended for other purposes. Transforming spots brings otherwise mundane patches of the city to life through thousands of tiny acts of repair and care. Second, repair and care work by skateboarders is most effective when barely visible to people outside the culture. However, repaired surfaces make their way to large audiences, often millions of viewers, through skateboard photography and video, giving some of them an outsized life across time and space. Third, knowledge about techniques of repair and care are considered an important part of skate culture to be learned and shared. Protocols of care shape acceptable degrees of modification to surfaces and objects, and as skateboarding globalises so too do these protocols. Fourth, acts of repair and care have no guarantees of longevity. Hours of labour can be destroyed by direct acts to stop skateboarding and by indirect acts emanating from dynamics of urban change.
The Patient Typology about deprescribing and medication‐related decisions: A quantitative exploration
Authors: Weir Kristie Rebecca , Scherer Aaron M. , Vordenberg Sarah E. , Streit Sven , Jansen Jesse , Jungo Katharina Tabea
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to test the adequacy of a quantitative measure of our qualitatively developed Patient Typology—categories of older adults' attitudes towards medicines and medicine decision‐making—and identify characteristics associated with each Typology. We conducted secondary data analyses of a subset of survey item measures of adults (≥65 years) who were members of online survey panels in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands (n = 4688). Multinomial logistic regression analyses assessed associations between demographic, psychosocial and medication‐related measures. Mean age was 71.5 (5), and 47.5% of participants were female. Factors associated with an increased likelihood of identifying with Typology 1 ‘Attached to medicines’ over Typology 2 ‘Open to deprescribing’ were higher positive attitude towards polypharmacy (RRR = 1.12, p = <0.001) and higher need for certainty (RRR = 1.11, p = 0.039). Factors associated with an increased likelihood of identifying with Typology 3 ‘Defers (medication decision‐making) to others’ over Typology 2 were older age (RRR = 1.47 per 10‐year age increase, p = <0.001) and a decreased likelihood of prior deprescribing experience (RRR = 0.73, p = 0.033). This study provides validation of the Typology with large samples from four countries, with the quantitatively‐measured typologies generally aligning with the qualitatively derived categories. Our Patient Typology measure provides a succinct way researchers can assess attitudes towards deprescribing.
Association between lithium treatment and renal, thyroid and parathyroid function: A cohort study of 6659 patients with bipolar disorder
Authors: Wiuff Anne Christine , Rohde Christopher , Jensen Botilla Dalsgaard , Nierenberg Andrew A. , Østergaard Søren Dinesen , Köhler‐Forsberg Ole
Published: June 2023

Objectives

Although potential adverse effects of lithium treatment on renal and endocrine systems have been extensively investigated, most prior studies are limited by selected populations and short follow‐up.

Methods

Within the Psychiatric Services of the Central Denmark Region, we identified all patients with bipolar disorder and ≥1 serum‐lithium (se‐Li) measurements between January 1, 2013, and July 20, 2022, and reference patients with bipolar disorder matched on age, sex, and baseline creatinine. Outcomes were diagnoses of renal, thyroid and parathyroid disease, and blood tests measuring creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium. Analyses included unadjusted multilevel regression to describe changes in biochemical markers, and adjusted Cox regression to compare rates of disease/biochemical outcomes between lithium users and reference patients.

Results

Among 1646 lithium users (median age 36 years, 63% women) and 5013 reference patients, lithium users had decreasing TSH and eGFR, stable PTH, and increasing calcium levels over time. Lithium use was associated with increased rates of renal, thyroid and parathyroid disease, and levels of biochemical markers outside normal ranges (hazard rate ratios: 1.07–11.22), but the absolute number of severe outcomes was low (e.g., chronic kidney disease: N = 10, 0.6%). Notably, the rate of blood testing was substantially higher among lithium users than among reference patients (e.g., mean number of creatinine tests during the second year of follow‐up: lithium users = 2.5, reference patients = 1.4).

Conclusions

Severely adverse renal and endocrine outcomes are rare during lithium treatment. Observational studies of long‐term lithium treatment are prone to detection bias.
Toward a causal link between attachment styles and mental health during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Vowels Laura M. , Vowels Matthew J. , Carnelley Katherine B. , Millings Abigail , Gibson‐Miller Jilly
Published: June 2023

Background

Recent research has shown that insecure attachment, especially attachment anxiety, is associated with poor mental health outcomes, especially during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Other research suggests that insecure attachment may be linked to nonadherence to social distancing behaviours during the pandemic.

Aims

The present study aims to examine the causal links between attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant), mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, loneliness) and adherence to social distancing behaviours during the first several months of the UK lockdown (between April and August 2020).

Materials & Methods

We used a nationally representative UK sample (cross‐sectional n = 1325; longitudinal n = 950). The data were analysed using state‐of‐the‐art causal discovery and targeted learning algorithms to identify causal processes.

Results

The results showed that insecure attachment styles were causally linked to poorer mental health outcomes, mediated by loneliness. Only attachment avoidance was causally linked to nonadherence to social distancing guidelines.

Discussion

Future interventions to improve mental health outcomes should focus on mitigating feelings of loneliness. Limitations include no access to pre‐pandemic data and the use of categorical attachment measure.

Conclusion

Insecure attachment is a risk factor for poorer mental health outcomes.
Cactus height increases the modularity of a plant–frugivore network in the Caatinga dry forest
Authors: Paixão Virgínia Helen Figueiredo , Gomes Vanessa Gabrielle Nóbrega , de Souza Camila Silveira , Venticinque Eduardo Martins
Published: June 2023

Cacti fruits are key resources to many frugivorous animals in Neotropical arid and semiarid regions. However, most studies have focused on a particular animal group or cacti species, but few have explored the overall interactions of such species at the community level. Here we monitored frugivory on five cacti species using camera traps that sampled diurnal and nocturnal interactions. We investigated the structure of interactions with bird, mammal, and reptile frugivores in the Brazilian Caatinga dry forest. We hypothesized that the height of cacti limit interactions with different types of frugivores, which would result in highly structured and modular interaction networks. In 2929 camera‐days, we recorded 23 vertebrate species feeding on cacti fruits, including seven new records, all determined to be primary seed dispersers. As predicted, the cacti‐frugivore network was modular and non‐nested, with the two shortest cacti species grouped in a module dominated by interactions with reptiles and non‐flying mammals. The tallest cacti species were dominated by frugivory interactions with birds and had comparatively less interaction diversity than shorter cacti species. Our results support the contention that cacti are keystone species in semiarid ecosystems where they produce small‐seeded fleshy fruits year‐round.
Enamel matrix derivative for alveolar ridge preservation: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Atieh Momen A. , Al‐Ali Bashayer , Shah Maanas , Amir‐Rad Fatemeh , Baqain Zaid H. , Al‐Suwaidi Salem , Alsabeeha Nabeel H. M.
Published: June 2023

Objective

The aims of this clinical trial were to evaluate the radiographic dimensional changes in alveolar ridge and patient‐reported outcomes following tooth extraction and alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) using either deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM) with EMD or DBBM alone.

Methods

Participants requiring at least one posterior tooth extraction and ARP were randomly allocated into two treatment groups: ARP using either DBBM with EMD or DBBM alone. Cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were recorded immediately prior to extraction and at 6 months. Changes in alveolar ridge height (ARH) and alveolar ridge width (ARW) at 1, 3, and 5 mm were recorded.

Results

A total of 18 participants with 25 preserved sites were evaluated. ARH and ARW changed significantly from baseline to 6 months for both treatment groups but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant over the 6‐month follow‐up period (ARH: DBBM/EMD 1.26 ± 1.53 mm vs. DBBM 2.26 ± 1.60 mm; ARW‐1 DBBM/EMD 1.98 ± 1.80 mm vs. DBBM 2.34 ± 1.89 mm). A significant difference, favoring DBBM with EMD group, was observed in percentage of sites that had less than 1 mm loss in ARH (54.5% sites in DBBM/EMD group vs. 14.3% sites in DBBM alone group). The participants' perception of bruising, bleeding, and pain in the first two postoperative days was significantly in favor of DBBM alone group.

Conclusions

There were no significant differences in radiographic mean measurements of ARH and ARW following ARB with DBBM and EMD or DBBM alone.
An explainable deep learning model for prediction of early‐stage chronic kidney disease
Authors: Arumugham Vinothini , Sankaralingam Baghavathi Priya , Jayachandran Uma Maheswari , Krishna Komanduri Venkata Sesha Sai Rama , Sundarraj Selvanayaki , Mohammed Moulana
Published: June 2023

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health concern with rising prevalence and huge costs associated with dialysis and transplantation. Early prediction of CKD can reduce the patient's risk of CKD progression to end‐stage kidney failure. Artificial intelligence offers more intelligent and expert healthcare services in disease diagnosis. In this work, a deep learning model is built using deep neural networks (DNN) with an adaptive moment estimation optimization function to predict early‐stage CKD. The health care applications require interpretability over the predictions of the black‐box model to build conviction towards the model's prediction. Hence, the predictions of the DNN‐CKD model are explained by the local interpretable model‐agnostic explainer (LIME). The diagnostic patient data is trained on five layered DNN with three hidden layers. Over the unseen data, the DNN‐CKD model yields an accuracy of 98.75% and a roc_auc score of 98.86% in detecting CKD risk. The explanation revealed by the LIME algorithm echoes the influence of each feature on the prediction made by the DNN‐CKD model over the given CKD data. With its interpretability and accuracy, the proposed system may effectively help medical experts in the early diagnosis of CKD.
Four‐ to seven‐year follow‐up of pharmacological postconditioning with mangafodipir as an adjunct to primary PCI in ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: El‐Saadi Walid , Engvall Jan , Karlsson Jan‐Erik , Maret Eva
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Adverse left ventricular remodelling (AR) develops over time in approximately 30% of patients with a history of coronary artery disease. AR manifests as a structural change in the left ventricle (LV) in terms of increased volumes and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Manganese dipyridoxyl diphosphate (mangafodipir) has demonstrated interesting cardioprotective features in acute myocardial ischaemia. Pharmacological postconditioning (PP) with mangafodipir as an adjunct to primary percutaneous coronary intervention may possibly reduce the development of AR over time in ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of this 4–7‐year follow‐up study is to investigate the potential benefits of PP with mangafodipir in STEMI patients.

Method

Thirteen out of the initial 20 patients that were included in the primary study of Karlsson et al. were followed up between April and June 2017. The study group underwent review of the hospital records, a clinical examination with ECG and blood sample analysis before cardiac magnetic resonance examination of the patient. LVEF, left ventricular diastolic volume, left ventricular end systolic volume, LV mass and myocardial strain in all directions were computed.

Results

The PP group showed a decrease in LV volume, mass and higher LVEF at follow‐up (p < 0.05) while the individual response of the placebo group showed features that are seen in AR. Although there was no difference in myocardial strain, measurement for the PP‐group was higher in absolute terms.

Conclusion

Pharmacological postconditioning with mangafodipir in STEMI demonstrated cardioprotective features compared to the placebo group at follow‐up. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Response to inhaled granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor in patient with mild‐to‐moderate autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis—24 months of follow‐up
Authors: Oterino‐Moreira Iván , Linares‐Asensio María‐Jesús , Sanz‐Márquez Sira , Pérez‐Encinas Montserrat
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (aPAP) is a disease caused by IgG antibodies against granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF). Whole lung lavage (WLL) allows to remove the lipo‐proteinaceous material accumulated by the poor clearance of alveolar surfactant. However, it is a complex technique that is not exempt from complications, and in some cases, the patients are refractory, requiring the performance of several WLLs spaced apart in time.

Materials and Methods

We present the clinical, functional, and radiological evolution after 24 months of follow‐up of a patient diagnosis of aPAP refractory to WLL, with performed three therapeutic WLLs spaced 16 and 36 months and serious potentially fatal complications in the last one.

Results and Disscusion

After 24 months, no adverse effects have appeared and the great clinical, functional and radiological response is maintained. The patient has been successfully treated with inhaled recombinant human GM‐CSF sargramostim.
RETRACTED: Optimization using Internet of Agent based Stacked Sparse Autoencoder Model for Heart Disease Prediction
Authors: Baviskar Vaishali , Verma Madhushi , Chatterjee Pradeep , Singal Gaurav , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy
Published: June 2023

Recently, machine learning methods have been successfully used for the prediction of cardiovascular disease. Early diagnosis and prediction is necessary for giving effective treatment to avoid higher mortality rates. Several classification algorithms have been developed recently which satisfy the need, but show limited accuracy while predicting the heart disease. Hence, the focus of this study is on early prediction of heart disease and to improve the accuracy of prediction using benchmark heart disease datasets such as UCI Cleveland dataset and Heart disease clinical dataset by implementing effective classification and optimization algorithms. Optimization algorithms generally exhibit the benefit of dealing with complex non‐linear issues with better adaptability and flexibility. The Emperor penguin optimization algorithm, which can select the best features for classification has been utilized in this study to improve the efficiency, minimize reconstruction errors, and increase the quality of heart disease classification. Further, the newly developed stacked sparse convolutional neural network based auto encoder (SSC‐AE) classification algorithm has been employed for significant feature classification with higher robustness and efficacy. Accuracy, Area Under Curve (AUC), and F1 score are some of the measures used to compare the outcomes of several machine learning algorithms to those of the proposed model in this study. The results show that the proposed model, SSC‐AE, is superior to other classification models.
Foster caregivers' depressive symptoms and parenting stress: Applying the theory of resilience and relational load
Authors: Arroyo Analisa , Richardson Evin W. , Hargrove Christine M. , Futris Ted G.
Published: June 2023

Objective

The aim of the current study was to identify constructive interpersonal behaviors that may make relational partners more resilient while foster caregiving.

Background

Foster caregiving can be stressful due to the unique demands of the role. Consistent with the theory of resilience and relational load, we propose one possible way for couples to manage stress and promote resilience is by investing in their relationships through repetitive and positive relationship maintenance behaviors.

Method

Two‐parent foster caregiving couples (N = 227) completed online surveys measuring perceptions of their own and their partners' relationship maintenance and conflict management behaviors, as well as individual reports of depressive symptoms and parenting stress.

Results

Structural equation actor–partner interdependence modeling indicated significant direct and indirect actor effects, but no partner effects. Both men's and women's perceptions of the couple's relationship maintenance were positively associated with their perceptions of the couple's conflict management, which, in turn, were negatively related with their own depressive symptoms and parenting stress.

Conclusion

Couples' prosocial and constructive behaviors are related to lower mental distress in foster caregivers.

Implications

Couple‐focused interventions may be helpful in promoting behaviors that enhance couple functioning and promote the well‐being of foster caregivers.
The two‐parameter fracture criterion based on the J‐A concept
Authors: Matvienko Yu. G.
Published: June 2023

The present paper deals with the J‐A concept in two‐parameter elastic–plastic approaches of fracture mechanics. The cumulative damage rule in a solid is employed to construct the quantitative elastic–plastic J‐A fracture criterion. As a result, the constraint corrected elastic–plastic fracture toughness
as a function of the crack‐tip constraint parameter A, the yield stress, the strain hardening exponent and the failure stress has been proposed. The significant effect of the strain hardening exponent on the normalized constraint corrected fracture toughness is observed. The value of the normalized constraint corrected fracture toughness decreases with the increase of the applied failure stress and the decrease of the crack aspect ratio to a certain values, and then it stabilizes.
Evaluating the impact of biodiversity offsetting on native vegetation
Authors: zu Ermgassen Sophus O. S. E. , Devenish Katie , Simmons B. Alexander , Gordon Ascelin , Jones Julia P. G. , Maron Martine , Schulte to Bühne Henrike , Sharma Roshan , Sonter Laura J. , Strange Niels , Ward Michelle , Bull Joseph W.
Published: June 2023

Biodiversity offsetting is a globally influential policy mechanism for reconciling trade‐offs between development and biodiversity loss. However, there is little robust evidence of its effectiveness. We evaluated the outcomes of a jurisdictional offsetting policy (Victoria, Australia). Offsets under Victoria's Native Vegetation Framework (2002–2013) aimed to prevent loss and degradation of remnant vegetation, and generate gains in vegetation extent and quality. We categorised offsets into those with near‐complete baseline woody vegetation cover (“avoided loss”, 2702 ha) and with incomplete cover (“regeneration”, 501 ha), and evaluated impacts on woody vegetation extent from 2008 to 2018. We used two approaches to estimate the counterfactual. First, we used statistical matching on biophysical covariates: a common approach in conservation impact evaluation, but which risks ignoring potentially important psychosocial confounders. Second, we compared changes in offsets with changes in sites that were not offsets for the study duration but were later enrolled as offsets, to partially account for self‐selection bias (where landholders enrolling land may have shared characteristics affecting how they manage land). Matching on biophysical covariates, we estimated that regeneration offsets increased woody vegetation extent by 1.9%–3.6%/year more than non‐offset sites (138–180 ha from 2008 to 2018) but this effect weakened with the second approach (0.3%–1.9%/year more than non‐offset sites; 19–97 ha from 2008 to 2018) and disappeared when a single outlier land parcel was removed. Neither approach detected any impact of avoided loss offsets. We cannot conclusively demonstrate whether the policy goal of ‘net gain’ (NG) was achieved because of data limitations. However, given our evidence that the majority of increases in woody vegetation extent were not additional (would have happened without the scheme), a NG outcome seems unlikely. The results highlight the importance of considering self‐selection bias in the design and evaluation of regulatory biodiversity offsetting policy, and the challenges of conducting robust impact evaluations of jurisdictional biodiversity offsetting policies.
Validation of fatty liver index as a predictor of hepatic steatosis in Asian populations: Impact of alcohol consumption and sex
Authors: Nomura Takako , Ono Masafumi , Kobayashi Kiyoyuki , Akaiwa Yuzuru , Ayaki Maki , Ogi Tomohiro , Ogi Maki , Takahashi Hirokazu , Ishikawa Kayo , Morishita Asahiro , Kobara Hideki , Masaki Tsutomu
Published: June 2023

Aim

This study was undertaken to investigate the utility of the fatty liver index (FLI) as a noninvasive tool for predicting hepatic steatosis based on alcohol consumption and sex in a large Asian population.

Methods

We carried out a single‐center observational cohort study at the HITO Medical Center in Japan and enrolled 1976 Asian subjects. The subjects were categorized into nondrinkers and light drinkers (0–19 g/day) and moderate drinkers (20–59 g/day) based on their self‐reported alcohol intake. We used physical examinations, laboratory tests, and a questionnaire to collect information on various factors related to the FLI, including body mass index, waist circumference, and levels of γ‐glutamyl transferase and triglycerides.

Results

The diagnostic accuracy of the FLI was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and optimal cut‐off values were determined using Youden's index. The FLI had an acceptable performance index of >0.7 both overall and in all subgroups, with an overall AUROC of 0.844. The AUROCs were higher in women and moderate drinkers of both sexes. We also compared the cut‐off values obtained in the present study with the previously reported values of 30 and 60. Optimal cut‐off values for the FLI were calculated for the total population and subgroups and were found to differ from the previously established values in other countries.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that the FLI is a useful noninvasive marker for predicting hepatic steatosis in a large Asian population, irrespective of alcohol consumption and sex.