bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting the caring performance of newly graduated Nurses' working in critical care units
Authors: Darawad Muhammad W. , Abu Feddeh Salam , Saleh Ali M.
Published: March 2022

Background

Although many studies have discussed nurses' caring performance, few have focussed on critical care nurses. Also, none have studied this among newly graduated nurses despite their very different circumstances.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting the caring performance of newly graduated nurses in critical care units.

Method

A descriptive cross‐sectional design, using self‐reported questionnaires, was used among a sample of 209 nurses interviewed in Jordanian hospitals. The Mental Health Professionals Stress Scale was used for measuring work‐related stress and the Caring Behaviours Assessment tool to assess caring performance. Data collection was conducted from March to May 2018.

Results

The participants had moderate levels of caring performance (M = 182.6/315, SD = 15.46). The highest score was reported for ‘Supportive/Protective/Corrective Environment’ subscale, while the lowest for ‘Teaching/Learning’ subscale. Many significant differences were noticed in caring performance based on participants' demographics. Only working in private hospitals was a significant predictor for caring performance (P < .05) predicting 14% of variance.

Conclusion

Caring performance of newly graduated nurses in critical care units was affected by many factors including workload, self‐doubt, income and area of working. The significance was flagged of developing nursing policies concerned with stress relief and improvement of caring performance.
Developing an immune‐related gene prognostic index associated with progression and providing new insights into the tumor immune microenvironment of prostate cancer
Authors: Feng Dechao , Zhang Facai , Li Dengxiong , Shi Xu , Xiong Qiao , Wei Qiang , Yang Lu
Published: March 2022

We developed an immune‐related gene prognostic index (IGPI) associated with progression and provided new insights into the tumour immune microenvironment (TIME) for prostate cancer (PCA) patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. All analyses were conducted with R software (version 3.6.3) and its suitable packages. Meta‐analysis was performed with STATA 16.0. TUBB3, WDR62 and PPARGC1A were finally identified to establish the IGPI score. The IGPI score increased with the augment of the Gleason score and T stage, as well as biochemical recurrence (BCR) and prostate specific antigen (PSA). Patients with a higher IGPI score were at a higher risk of progress (HR: 2·88; 95%CI: 95%CI: 1·80–4·61). Gene set enrichment analysis indicated that patients in high‐risk group were positively associated with mismatch repair, cell cycle, DNA replication, base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, homologous recombination and pyrimidine metabolism. We observed that patients in the high‐risk group had significantly higher tumour mutation burden score and microsatellite instability score than those in the low‐risk group. For analysis of immune checkpoint, ADORA2A, CD80, TNFRSF4, TNFRSF18 and TNFRSF25 were differentially expressed between no progress and progress groups and were significantly associated with progress free survival. We observed positive correlations between the IGPI score and lymphoid immune cells, macrophages M2 and immune score, while negative association between the IGPI score and dendritic cells, fibroblasts, stromal score and microenvironment score. In conclusion, the IGPI score constructed in this study might serve as an independent risk factor associated with PCA progression. ADORA2A, CD80, TNFRSF4, TNFRSF18 and TNFRSF25 might be the potential targets in the treatment of PCA.
Success of medicaments and techniques for pulpotomy of primary teeth: An overview of systematic reviews
Authors: Tewari Nitesh , Goel Shubhi , Mathur Vijay Prakash , O’Connell Anne C. , Johnson Riya Marie , Rahul Morankar , Sultan Farheen , Goswami Mridula , Srivastav Sukeshana , Ritwik Priyanshi
Published: March 2022

Background

Pulpotomy is an effective, vital pulp therapy procedure for caries‐affected or traumatized primary teeth. Though its efficacy is widely accepted, the superiority of medicaments and techniques remains debatable.

Aim

The aims of this review were to compare the success rates of various pulpotomy medicaments or techniques, assess the methodological quality of reviews, and grade the level of evidence for each comparison.

Design

This review followed the principles of evidence‐based medicine and recommendations for the overview of systematic reviews. An a priori protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42021244489). A comprehensive literature search was performed by two reviewers, and studies were selected from various databases according to predefined criteria. Two reviewers independently used a self‐designed pilot‐tested form to extract data from the selected studies. A quality analysis was performed using A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews‐2 (AMSTAR‐2) and the ROBIS tool. Reporting characteristics and overlap of the primary studies were also assessed. We used modified Köhler's criteria for evaluating the quality of evidence for outcomes of included systematic reviews and meta‐analyses.

Results

The scrutiny of 62 full‐text articles resulted in the inclusion of eight systematic reviews. The quality of four of the reviews was found to be critically low, and the overlap of primary studies in the meta‐analyses was found to be high. Pulpotomy medicaments/techniques, except calcium hydroxide, had success rates of more than 80% for all domains and time periods. Most of the comparisons revealed no differences in the clinical, radiographic, or overall success rates. Mineral trioxide aggregate, however, was found to have better radiographic and overall success rates than calcium hydroxide at periods greater than 12 and 18 months. It also had a greater radiographic success rate than full‐strength/1:5 diluted and full‐strength formocresol at 24 months. Formocresol was found to have better overall success rates than calcium hydroxide at all time periods and better radiographic success rates at 12 months. Only 12 of the 63 comparisons had suggestive or weak evidence, whereas all others had either negligible evidence or insufficient data.

Conclusions

The pulpotomy medicaments/techniques, except calcium hydroxide, showed success rates of more than 80%, whereas most comparisons revealed no differences. Mineral trioxide aggregate, however, was found to be better than calcium hydroxide and formocresol in several respects. This study highlights the lack of evidence regarding the choice of pulpotomy agents for the treatment of caries‐affected primary teeth and elucidates the domains that require primary studies in the future.
Barriers to and facilitators for supporting patient communication in the adult ICU during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A qualitative study
Authors: Istanboulian Laura , Rose Louise , Yunusova Yana , Dale Craig
Published: March 2022

Aim

To explore barriers to and facilitators for supporting communication with and for patients treated with invasive mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Design

A qualitative descriptive study reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research.

Methods

Adult intensive care unit patients treated with an advanced airway for mechanical ventilation, their family members and healthcare providers (nurses, intensivists and allied health) were recruited for interviews between January and April 2021. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis methods. Reported communication barriers and facilitators were mapped to the theoretical framework of acceptability to identify potentially modifiable clinical and institutional practices.

Results

We recruited 29 participants (20 healthcare providers, four patients and five family member). Provider communication barriers included isolation procedures, lack of personal protective equipment and inadequate communication tools/training, which reduced perceived communication frequency and effectiveness. Patients and families reported infrequent proactive provision of communication tools, which contributed to a crisis of unmet needs. Reported facilitators included adequate access to personal protective equipment to mitigate the risk of patient proximity and communication tools/training to improve communication effectiveness. Authentic unit leadership helped to assuage pandemic work stressors and encourage humanistic care. Our analysis indicates low acceptability of existing communication practices during the COVID‐19 pandemic and the importance of leadership to reduce the burden of communication through provision of key necessary resources.

Conclusion

COVID‐19 conditions have precipitated a communication crisis in the ICU. The results of this study have practice and policy implications and will be used to co‐design a communication intervention for use during and beyond the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Impact

The study contributes a better understanding of resources necessary to support patient communication. Results apply beyond the pandemic to routine use of infection prevention and control precautions in the intensive care unit.
Head‐to‐head comparison of a risk‐adapted screening strategy using various risk prediction models in detecting colorectal neoplasm
Authors: Lu Ming , Zhang Yuhan , Cai Jie , Lu Bin , Luo Chenyu , Chen Hongda , Dai Min
Published: March 2022

Background and Aim

The risk‐adapted screening strategy showed satisfying colorectal cancer (CRC) screening yield and efficiency. We therefore further explored the diagnostic performance variation of this strategy using different risk prediction models.

Methods

A literature search was conducted to identify studies evaluating risk models for advanced colorectal neoplasm (ACN). The included models were retrospectively validated in a subset sample (N = 3219) from a population‐based CRC screening trial in China. Diagnosis‐related indictors were compared between the risk‐adapted screening strategy using different models and the fecal immunochemical test (FIT)‐only strategy. For simulated populations with ACN prevalence of 3% to 12%, the trade‐off of additional false positives for each additional true positive were calculated.

Results

We included 14 eligible risk models with the area under the curves ranging 0.570 to 0.652 in the validation set. The overall sensitivities of the risk‐adapted screening strategy using different risk models for ACN varied from 46.0% to 69.8%, higher than FIT (21.9%), but at the expense of specificities (51.6% to 78.3% vs 97.1%). For population having ACN prevalence of 3%, risk‐adapted screening strategies needed 20.5 to 31.1 additional false positives for each additional true positive compared with FIT, and respective number would substantially reduce (4.7 to 7.1) as the ACN prevalence increased to 12%.

Conclusions

Risk‐adapted screening strategy using the current risk models showed improved sensitivity for ACN compared with FIT, at the cost of increased colonoscopy workload. The optimal strategy for screening practice should be tailored considering the disease burden and availability of healthcare resources.
Prognostic value of functional capacity after transitional rehabilitation in older patients hospitalized for heart failure
Authors: Scrutinio Domenico , Guida Pietro , Ruggieri Roberta , Passantino Andrea
Published: March 2022

Background

Poor functional status is highly prevalent among older patients hospitalized for HF and marks a downward inflection point in functional and prognostic trajectories. We assessed the prognostic value of 6‐min walk test after transitional cardiac rehabilitation in older patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF).

Methods

We studied 759 patients aged ≥60 years who had been transferred to six inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF) from acute care hospitals after a hospitalization for acute HF. The primary outcome was 3‐year all‐cause mortality. We used multivariable Cox analysis to determine the association between 6‐min walk distance (6MWD) at discharge from the IRFs and the primary outcome, adjusting for established predictors of death. The optimal cutoff for 6MWD was considered as the one that maximized the chi‐square statistic.

Results

Mean age was 75 ± 8 years. 6MWD significantly increased from admission to discharge (145 to 210 m; p < 0.001). The optimal cutoff for 6MWD was 198 m. After full adjustment, the hazard ratio for each 50 m‐increase in discharge 6MWD was 0.90 (0.87–0.94; p < 0.001) and that for discharge 6MWD dichotomized at the optimal cutoff 0.48 (0.38–0.60; p < 0.001). The incidence rate of death/100 person‐years for the patients who walked >198 m was 13.0 (10.0–15.5) compared with 30.8 (26.9–35.4) for those who walked <198 m. A statistically significant interaction of discharge 6MWD with left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) on the risk of death was observed (p value for interaction 0.047).

Conclusions

A rehabilitation intervention provided in the critical hospital‐to‐home transition period to older patients hospitalized for HF resulted in improved functional capacity. Increasing levels of functional capacity following rehabilitation were closely associated with decreasing risk of death; this association was significantly stronger for the subgroup with preserved EF.
Are Mindfulness‐Based Interventions as Effective as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Reducing Symptoms of Complicated Perinatal Grief? A Systematic Review
Authors: Dolan Niamh , Grealish Annmarie , Tuohy Teresa , Bright Ann‐Marie
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Perinatal loss can be a devastating experience for parents that can result in complicated grief symptoms that include depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. Perinatal bereavement care pathways have been developed internationally within health care services; however, there is an apparent lack of recommendations and guidance on grief‐focused interventions specifically for complicated perinatal grief. Studies have analyzed the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for perinatal grief, and more recent research has emerged on the use of mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) for perinatal grief symptoms. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review and present the effectiveness of CBT and MBIs for perinatal grief, to report patient experiences of the interventions, and to determine which intervention can be more effective in managing symptoms of complicated perinatal grief.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted of 5 academic databases: PsycINFO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Social Science, and ASSIA. No limits on publication date, language, or geographic location were set because of the paucity of research published on this subject. Quality appraisal was conducted for each included study. Findings are reported in accordance with the PRISMA statement.

Results

This systematic review identified 8 eligible studies with a total of 681 bereaved participants. The results were examined for effectiveness of CBT and MBIs for grief; effectiveness of CBT and MBIs for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress; and participant experiences. Both interventions produced favorable reductions of perinatal grief symptoms, depression, and posttraumatic stress. However, a true comparison between the 2 interventions’ effect on complicated perinatal grief symptoms could not be made because of the limited studies in this area and the heterogeneity of the included studies’ methods and outcomes.

Discussion

Both MBIs and CBT interventions can be effective in reducing symptoms of complicated perinatal grief. The findings of this review are heavily weighted in quantitative outcome measurements. More qualitative research and randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are needed in this area of perinatal bereavement care.
Interest in Home Birth During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: Analysis of Google Trends Data
Authors: Cheng Ru‐fong J. , Fisher Alan C. , Nicholson Susan C.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Nearly all (94%‐99%) pregnant persons in developed countries search for pregnancy‐related information online. The advent of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and the associated restrictions in hospital policies may have pushed pregnant persons in the United States to consider giving birth at home to achieve their desired birth experience.

Methods

Google Trends is an open, rich source of real‐time, anonymized, relative data on disease patterns and population behavior that provides data in the form of search volume index (SVI): the search volume for a queried term relative to overall search volume for a given time frame and geographic location. The SVI is normalized to a scale of 0 to 100. After the World Health Organization declared COVID‐19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, Google Trends was queried on February 21, 2021, for the search term home birth with location set to the United States and the time frame March 11, 2019 to February 21, 2021.

Results

The median SVI for home birth during nominally pre‐COVID‐19 baseline (weeks of March 17, 2019 to March 8, 2020) was relatively constant at 43 (range, 25‐56) and increased sharply to 77 during the week of March 15, to 86 during the week of March 22, and peaked at 100 during the week of March 29, 2020. The SVI declined substantially in the following weeks but remained significantly elevated compared with baseline levels. During the approximate 2‐year period of query, the states with the highest SVI values (≥80) were Arkansas, Washington, Montana, and Georgia.

Discussion

Interest in home birth spiked in the United States immediately after COVID‐19 was declared a pandemic and remained significantly elevated thereafter. These results have implications for caregivers and health systems to ensure safe pregnancies and childbirths through the resolution of the ongoing pandemic.
“When the surgery was over, I felt like the worst part had passed”: experiences of parents of children with craniosynostosis
Authors: Zerpe Anna S. , Nowinski Daniel , Ramklint Mia , Öster Caisa
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Parents of children scheduled for surgery often experience emotional distress and anxiety. This study aimed to explore parents' experiences of hospital care after their child's craniosynostosis surgery and their perception of support during the year after discharge.

Design and Methods

A purposive sample of 19 parents of 12 children with nonsyndromic craniosynostosis, who had undergone surgery, was recruited from one of two national centers in Sweden. An interview was conducted ~1 year after the child's surgery, from September 2017 to August 2018. The interviews followed a semistructured interview guide, were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Results

The analysis yielded six categories with subcategories as follows: (1) cared for and confident: the hospital staff was perceived as kind, professional, and reliable. (2) Alone and abandoned: sometimes, parents found it hard to initiate contact with professionals during hospitalization and after discharge. (3) The importance of information: thorough information was perceived as essential and the need for information varied during postsurgery period. (4) Feelings of worry: some parents remained worried about risks during recovery and were concerned about comorbidities and development. (5) Alright after all: parents felt that the worst part had been before surgery. (6) The need for support: parents were generally satisfied with the support offered and they often received support from family and friends, or other parents through social media/online forums.

Practice Implications

Healthcare professionals must be responsive to what support parents need at different stages in the care process and be aware that parents sometimes hesitate to initiate contact and ask for help and support. Support from healthcare professionals to everyone in the follow‐up program, as a default, might be more accessible or acceptable for some parents. Providing online support from professionals should be considered and caregivers could also facilitate peer support among parents, either face‐to‐face or online.
Improvement of chronic HCV infection‐related depression, anxiety, and neurocognitive performance in persons achieving SVR‐12: A real‐world cohort study
Authors: Kaur Harmanpreet , Dhiman Radha K. , Kulkarni Anand V. , Premkumar Madhumita , Singh Virendra , Duseja Ajay Kumar , Grover Sandeep , Grover Gagandeep S. , Roy Akash , Verma Nipun , De Arka , Taneja Sunil , Mehtani Rohit , Mishra Saurabh , Kaur Harpreet
Published: March 2022

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with neuropsychiatric changes. Also, patients with cirrhosis may develop overt or minimal hepatic encephalopathy. Sustained virological response (SVR) with direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) may improve the neuropsychiatric manifestations and quality of life (QoL). Consecutive patients (with and without cirrhosis, all genders and aged 18–65 years) with hepatitis C were assessed at enrolment and at 12 weeks after therapy completion for mood (Beck's Depression Inventory [BDI]), anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder [GAD‐7]), QoL (SF‐36 ver.2) and computer‐based tests for number connection (NCT), visual memory, Stroop test and reaction times. We recruited 385 viraemic chronic HCV patients (76.1% male, 21.0% cirrhotic, mean age 39.4 ± 14.2 years, 59.3% genotype 3, mean HCV RNA load 5.8 log). Overall SVR‐12 rates were 90.6%, with cure rates 87.6% and 91.4% in patients with and without cirrhosis, respectively. Patients who achieved SVR‐12 had mean percentage reduction in BDI (11.3%, p = .000), GAD (8.6%, p = .001) and Stroop test (58.4%, p = .001), with improved NCT (1.7%, p = .001), visual memory (13.7%, p = .001) and digit span (23.8%, p = .002). On multivariate logistic regression, adherence (OR, 17.5 [95% CI 2.80–110.50], p = .000), high ALT (OR 1.02 [95% CI 1.00–1.05]), and BDI score (OR 1.73 [95% CI 1.42–3.26] p = .039) predicted cure. SVR‐12 was associated with improved visual memory ≥5.5 (AUC‐0.708; sensitivity 62.5%, specificity 63%, p = .000) and % correct Stroop test responses >26.6% (AUC‐0.918, sensitivity 94.4% specificity 80.4%, p = .000). In conclusion, given the cumulative evidence of the safety of DAAs and efficacy of improving cognitive and neuropsychological and quality‐of‐life outcomes irrespective of age and gender, as shown in our study, future recommendations should focus on integrated universal HCV care to enable HCV elimination.
WolbachiawAlbB inhibits bluetongue and epizootic hemorrhagic fever viruses in Culicoides midge cells
Authors: Matthews Megan L. , Covey Hunter O. , Drolet Barbara S. , Brelsfoard Corey L.
Published: March 2022

Culicoides midges are hematophagous insects that transmit arboviruses of veterinary importance. These viruses include bluetongue virus (BTV) and epizootic hemorrhagic fever virus (EHDV). The endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis Hertig spreads rapidly through insect host populations and has been demonstrated to inhibit viral pathogen transmission in multiple mosquito vectors. Here, we have demonstrated a replication inhibitory effect on BTV and EHDV in a Wolbachia (wAlbB strain)‐infected Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones W8 cell line. Viral replication was significantly reduced by day 5 for BTV and by day 2 for EHDV as detected by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) of the non‐structural NS3 gene of both viruses. Evaluation of innate cellular immune responses as a cause of the inhibitory effect showed responses associated with BTV but not with EHDV infection. Wolbachia density also did not play a role in the observed pathogen inhibitory effects, and an alternative hypothesis is suggested. Applications of Wolbachia‐mediated pathogen interference to impact disease transmission by Culicoides midges are discussed.
Shrirangia: a new genus of Apiaceae from lateritic plateaus of Konkan region of Maharashtra, India
Authors: Gosavi Kumar Vinod Chhotupuri , Madhav Nilesh Appaso , Borude Devidas Bhausaheb , Chandore Arun Nivrutti
Published: March 2022

Shrirangia, a new monotypic genus of the family Apiaceae from low elevated lateritic plateaus of south Konkan region of Maharashtra, India is described and illustrated with a new species, Shrirangia concanensis. The new genus is related to Himalayan genus Chamaesium H.Wolff by the characters of: many (ca 10) ribbed fruit, primary and secondary types of ribs present but very distinct from it by having tuberous habit, ternate to bi‐ternate leaves, commissure plain undulate with 6–7 secondary ribs and vallecular and second types of vittae at dorsal face.
Nitric oxide‐releasing nanomaterials: from basic research to potential biotechnological applications in agriculture
Authors: Seabra Amedea B. , Silveira Neidiquele M. , Ribeiro Rafael V. , Pieretti Joana C. , Barroso Juan B. , Corpas Francisco J. , Palma José M. , Hancock John T. , Petřivalský Marek , Gupta Kapuganti J. , Wendehenne David , Loake Gary J. , Durner Jorg , Lindermayr Christian , Molnár Árpád , Kolbert Zsuzsanna , Oliveira Halley C.
Published: March 2022

Nitric oxide (NO) is a multifunctional gaseous signal that modulates the growth, development and stress tolerance of higher plants. NO donors have been used to boost plant endogenous NO levels and to activate NO‐related responses, but this strategy is often hindered by the relative instability of donors. Alternatively, nanoscience offers a new, promising way to enhance NO delivery to plants, as NO‐releasing nanomaterials (e.g. S‐nitrosothiol‐containing chitosan nanoparticles) have many beneficial physicochemical and biochemical properties compared to non‐encapsulated NO donors. Nano NO donors are effective in increasing tissue NO levels and enhancing NO effects both in animal and human systems. The authors believe, and would like to emphasize, that new trends and technologies are essential for advancing plant NO research and nanotechnology may represent a breakthrough in traditional agriculture and environmental science. Herein, we aim to draw the attention of the scientific community to the potential of NO‐releasing nanomaterials in both basic and applied plant research as alternatives to conventional NO donors, providing a brief overview of the current knowledge and identifying future research directions. We also express our opinion about the challenges for the application of nano NO donors, such as the environmental footprint and stakeholder's acceptance of these materials.
Does caring lead to stigmatisation? The perception of older people among healthcare professionals and the general population: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Crutzen Coline , Missotten Pierre , Adam Stéphane , Schroyen Sarah
Published: March 2022

Background

It is well recognised that healthcare professionals are particularly at risk for developing a negative perception of older people. Indeed, in addition to receiving education centred on a biomedical view of ageing, they are constantly exposed to the most vulnerable and dependent older individuals.

Aim

The purpose of our study is to compare the perception of older people between health professionals, working in a nursing home and the general population.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional study. The perception of older people was measured using two different instruments: the image‐of‐ageing question and the Aging Semantic Differential (ASD) scale. We performed t‐test to compare the perception of older individuals between the general population and healthcare professionals.

Results

The image‐of‐ageing question does not show any difference between the general population (n = 148) and healthcare professionals (n = 107). In these both groups, almost half of the words cited in reference to older individuals were negative. Concerning the ASD, results show that healthcare professionals have significantly more negative perceptions towards older individuals than the general population (with the control of age, gender and educational level).

Conclusion

Healthcare professionals seem to have a more negative view of older people than the general population. Their regular contact with the frailest older adults could explain this finding. Another hypothesis could be a non‐optimal quality of contact in nursing homes.

Implications for practice

Such results highlight the importance to promote a more holistic view of ageing in educational programs of healthcare professional. Improving the quality of contact with nursing homes residents should be strongly considered to reduce ageism among healthcare professionals.
Increasing floral visitation and hybrid seed production mediated by beauty mark in Gossypium hirsutum
Authors: Abid Muhammad Ali , Wei Yunxiao , Meng Zhigang , Wang Yuan , Ye Yulu , Wang Yanan , He Haiyan , Zhou Qi , Li Yanyan , Wang Peilin , Li Xianggan , Yan Liuhua , Malik Waqas , Guo Sandui , Chu Chengcai , Zhang Rui , Liang Chengzhen
Published: March 2022

Hybrid crop varieties have been repeatedly demonstrated to produce significantly higher yields than their parental lines; however, the low efficiency and high cost of hybrid seed production has limited the broad exploitation of heterosis for cotton production. One option for increasing the yield of hybrid seed is to improve pollination efficiency by insect pollinators. Here, we report the molecular cloning and characterization of a semidominant gene, Beauty Mark (BM), which controls purple spot formation at the base of flower petals in the cultivated tetraploid cotton species Gossypium barbadense. BM encodes an R2R3 MYB113 transcription factor, and we demonstrate that GbBM directly targets the promoter of four flavonoid biosynthesis genes to positively regulate petal spot development. Introgression of a GbBM allele into G. hirsutum by marker‐assisted selection restored petal spot formation, which significantly increased the frequency of honeybee visits in G. hirsutum. Moreover, field tests confirmed that cotton seed yield was significantly improved in a three‐line hybrid production system that incorporated the GbBM allele. Our study thus provides a basis for the potentially broad application of this gene in improving the long‐standing problem of low seed production in elite cotton hybrid lines.
Enriching Transactional Leadership with Public Values
Authors: Nguyen Trang Thu , Berman Evan M. , Plimmer Geoff , Samartini Andre , Sabharwal Meghna , Taylor Jeannette
Published: March 2022

Past studies raise concerns that generic transactional leadership has low effectiveness and may reduce intrinsic motivations and commitments in the public sector. This study introduces public value‐focused transactional leadership (PVTL) as transactional leadership that makes public values central in employee job expectations and rewards and fills gaps in transformational leadership. A dyadic study finds that managers using public values in transactional leadership have significantly greater leadership effectiveness than managers using only generic transactional leadership. PVTL has comparable effectiveness as transformational leadership and adds a process for strengthening motivations through public values. Recommendations are made for application and further research into this distinctive public sector leadership style.
Eternalism and the problem of hyperplanes
Authors: Slavov Matias
Published: March 2022

Eternalism is the view that the past, the present and the future exist simpliciter. A typical argument in favor of this view leans on the relativity of simultaneity. The ‘equally real with’ relation is assumed to be transitive between spacelike separated events connected by hyperplanes of simultaneity. This reasoning is in tension with the conventionality of simultaneity. Conventionality indicates that, even within a specific frame, simultaneity is based on the choice of the synchronization parameter. Hence the argument for eternalism is compromised. This paper lays out alternative eternalist strategies which do not hinge on hyperplanes. While we lack a rigorous proof for eternalism, there are still cogent reasons to prefer eternalism over presentism.
To default or not? The aftermath of sovereign defaults and IMF programs in economic crises
Authors: Malinen Tuomas , Ropponen Olli
Published: March 2022

Economic crises are costly and highly disruptive, but does a sovereign default enhance or undermine economic recovery during the crisis? In this study, we approach this question by using a large dataset regarding economic crises after the Second World War. The results indicate that in terms of the real economy, domestic defaults tend to be followed by losses, especially in developing countries facing crises. Defaulting on foreign liabilities yields an equivocal economic outcome depending mostly on the level of economic development. Surprisingly, public debt seems to play no role in outcomes of defaults. We also analyse International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes and find that they provide a more favourable crisis outcome.
El hiperpresidencialismo colombiano y el Acuerdo de Paz de la Habana
Authors: Botero Bernal Andrés , Cajas Sarria Mario Alberto
Published: March 2022

Este artículo expone cómo el historicismo o tradicionalismo constitucional colombiano ha estado marcado por el hiperpresidencialismo. Pese a que la Constitución de 1991 impuso un presidencialismo moderado como alternativa a dicho historicismo, mediante reformas constitucionales y prácticas políticas tradicionales, retornó el hiperpresidencialismo, en especial en los gobiernos Uribe [2002-2010] y Santos [2010-2018]. Ahora bien, tanta acumulación de poder en el presidente Santos, organizada desde varios gobiernos anteriores, le permitió adelantar un proceso de paz con la guerrilla de las FARC, en contra de muchos sectores que han rechazado la salida negociada al conflicto armado. No obstante, este artículo se pregunta si vale la pena apostarle a acumular tanto poder en una persona, a pesar de que en este caso sirvió para fines loables desde una perspectiva pacifista, dado que los riesgos del hiperpresidencialismo son muy elevados para una democracia republicana.
Simulation of Aerosol Dispersion During Medical Examinations
Authors: Falk Sebastian , Mueller Sarina K. , Kniesburges Stefan , Döllinger Michael
Published: March 2022

The main route of transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) virus is airborne. The objective of this study is to analyze the aerosol dispersion and potential exposure to medical staff within a typical medical examination room during classical airway procedures. The multiphase simulation of the aerosol particles in the airflow is based on a Lagrangian-Eulerian approach. All simulation cases with surgical mask show partially but significantly reduced maximum dispersion distances of the aerosol particles compared to the cases without a surgical mask. The simulations have shown that medical examiners are exposed to a large amount of aerosol particles, especially during procedures such as laryngoscopy where the examiner's head is directly in front of the patient's face. However, exposure can be drastically reduced if the patient wears a mask which is possible for most of the procedures studied, such as otoscopy, sonography, or anamnesis.
Numerical Modeling of Atmospheric Rime Ice Accretion on an Airfoil Using an Eulerian Approach
Authors: Shad Arash , Sherif S. A.
Published: March 2022

This paper presents an approach to numerically simulate the inherently unsteady rime ice accretion problem on a two-dimensional airfoil and elucidate the associated variations under different icing conditions. The airflow field and the water impingement on the airfoil are obtained based on an Eulerian two-phase model. A dynamic mesh strategy is employed to unsteadily account for the changes in the ice profile and its impact on the air and droplet flow by continuously reconstructing the computational grid at each time-step through smoothing and layering mechanisms. All main icing modules including the airflow field, droplet trajectory, icing thickness profile, and mesh management are fully coupled within the same computational framework without resorting to any external tools. Classical icing theory is employed to model the rime ice roughness, and it is assumed that the ice accretes in a direction normal to the airfoil surface. The governing Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) conservation equations along with the energy and continuity equations are solved to produce the velocity and temperature fields. A convective film heat transfer coefficient is computed based on the surface heat flux and a recovery temperature which takes into account the dissipative heat release in the boundary layer in the vicinity of the airfoil surface. With the implemented strategy and calculating the convective heat transfer coefficient, the water film thickness is also calculated along with the ice shape. The model is validated by comparing the local collection efficiency distribution and ice shape with experimental data, and the results show that the implemented approach provides acceptable predictions of ice accretion profiles and rates.
High-Temperature Solid Particle Erosion Behavior of Laser Powder Bed Fused Inconel 718
Authors: Calvin Samuel S. , Arivarasu M. , Ram Prabhu T.
Published: March 2022

The failure of turbine blades due to solid particle erosion is a serious concern in aviation applications. This research investigates the solid particle erosion behavior of laser powder bed fused IN718 alloy for the effect of temperature (400 °C, 500 °C, and 600 °C) and impact angle (45 deg and 90 deg) in a gas-jet erosion setup. The erosion rate progressively increased with the test temperature and it is significantly higher in the 45 deg eroded samples. The eroded samples were characterized for residual stress distribution, surface topography, and surface roughness using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and 3D optical profilometer. Compressive residual stress is evident in all eroded samples, and higher residual stress is measured in the 90 deg eroded samples. Ploughing, crater lip formation, and cracking are the erosion features observed in the 45 deg eroded samples. In comparison, localized plastic deformation, platelet mechanisms, and cracked ridges are observed in the 90 deg eroded samples. Crack formation at 600 °C test condition is attributed to severe erosion degradation in both the impact conditions (45 deg and 90 deg). The as-printed and solution-double aged samples were thoroughly investigated for microstructure and microhardness distribution at the region parallel and perpendicular to the build direction.
Acoustic scattering from a toroidal bubble
Authors: Spratt Kyle S. , Lee Kevin M. , Wilson Preston S. , Hamilton Mark F.
Published: March 2022

A simplified model is presented describing acoustic scattering from a toroidal gas bubble in a compressible liquid. It is assumed that the volume oscillations of the bubble are small enough that a linear approximation is appropriate, and furthermore, that the bubble is large enough that the dominant loss mechanism is radiation damping. An expression for the scattering cross section for such a bubble is derived, and the results are compared with finite-element calculations of the full fluid-fluid scattering problem.
Preschool to School-Age Physical Activity Trajectories and School-Age Physical Literacy: A Longitudinal Analysis
Authors: Caldwell Hilary A.T. , Proudfoot Nicole A. , DiCristofaro Natascja A. , Cairney John , Bray Steven R. , Timmons Brian W.
Published: March 2022

Purpose: The associations between longitudinal physical activity (PA) patterns across childhood and physical literacy have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to identify PA trajectories from preschool to school-age, and to determine if trajectory group membership was associated with school-age physical literacy. Methods: Participants (n = 279, 4.5 [0.9] y old, 48% girls) enrolled in this study and completed annual assessments of PA with accelerometry over 6 timepoints. Physical literacy was assessed at timepoint 6 (10.8 [1.0] y old). Group-based trajectory analysis was applied to identify trajectories of total volume of PA and of moderate to vigorous PA and to estimate group differences in physical literacy. Results: Three trajectories of total volume of PA and of moderate to vigorous PA were identified. Groups 1 (lowest PA) included 40% to 53% of the sample, groups 2 included 39% to 44% of the sample, and groups 3 (highest PA) included 8% to 16% of the sample. All trajectories declined from timepoint 1 to timepoint 6. School-age physical literacy was lowest in trajectory groups with the lowest total volume of PA or moderate to vigorous PA over time (P < .05). Conclusions: PA should be promoted across early and middle childhood, as it may play a formative role in the development of school-age physical literacy.
Live cell tracking of macrophage efferocytosis during
Drosophila
embryo development in vivo
Authors: Raymond Michael H. , Davidson Andrew J. , Shen Yi , Tudor Daniel R. , Lucas Christopher D. , Morioka Sho , Perry Justin S. A. , Krapivkina Julia , Perrais David , Schumacher Linus J. , Campbell Robert E. , Wood Will , Ravichandran Kodi S.
Published: March 2022

Apoptosis of cells and their subsequent removal through efferocytosis occurs in nearly all tissues during development, homeostasis, and disease. However, it has been difficult to track cell death and subsequent corpse removal in vivo. We developed a genetically encoded fluorescent reporter, CharON (Caspase and pH Activated Reporter, Fluorescence ON), that could track emerging apoptotic cells and their efferocytic clearance by phagocytes. Using
Drosophila
expressing CharON, we uncovered multiple qualitative and quantitative features of coordinated clearance of apoptotic corpses during embryonic development. When confronted with high rates of emerging apoptotic corpses, the macrophages displayed heterogeneity in engulfment behaviors, leading to some efferocytic macrophages carrying high corpse burden. Overburdened macrophages were compromised in clearing wound debris. These findings reveal known and unexpected features of apoptosis and macrophage efferocytosis in vivo.
Stopping pandemics before they start: Lessons learned from SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Edwards Aled M. , Baric Ralph S. , Saphire Erica Ollmann , Ulmer Jeffrey B.
Published: March 2022

The vaccine and drug discovery responses to COVID-19 have worked far better than could have been imagined. Yet by the end of 2021, more than 5 million people had died, and the pandemic continues to evolve and rage globally. This Review will describe how each of the vaccines, antibody therapies, and antiviral drugs that have been approved to date were built on decades of investment in technology and basic science. We will caution that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has so far proven a straightforward test of our pandemic preparedness, and we will recommend steps we should undertake now to prepare for, to minimize the effects of, and ideally to prevent future pandemics. Other Reviews in this series describe the interactions of SARS-CoV-2 with the immune system and those therapies that target the host response to infection.
A fabric of life view of the world
Authors: Díaz Sandra
Published: March 2022

This month in Geneva, the 196 parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity will discuss the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, in preparation for part two of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in Kunming, China. By driving biodiversity actions worldwide through 2030 and beyond, this is arguably the most important biodiversity policy process of our time.
Signals from the sewer
Authors: Vogel Gretchen
Published: March 2022

Measuring virus levels in wastewater can help track the pandemic. But how useful is that?
An Optimized Dihydrodibenzothiazepine Lead Compound (SBI-0797750) as a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase 6-Phosphogluconolactonase
Authors: Berneburg Isabell , Peddibhotla Satyamaheshwar , Heimsch Kim C. , Haeussler Kristina , Maloney Patrick , Gosalia Palak , Preuss Janina , Rahbari Mahsa , Skorokhod Oleksii , Valente Elena , Ulliers Daniela , Simula Luigi Felice , Buchholz Kathrin , Hedrick Michael P. , Hershberger Paul , Chung Thomas D. Y. , Jackson Michael R. , Schwarzer Evelin , Rahlfs Stefan , Bode Lars , Becker Katja , Pinkerton Anthony B.
Published: March 2022

In
Plasmodium
, the first two and rate-limiting enzymes of the pentose phosphate pathway, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and the 6-phosphogluconolactonase, are bifunctionally fused to a unique enzyme named GluPho, differing structurally and mechanistically from the respective human orthologs. Consistent with the enzyme’s essentiality for malaria parasite proliferation and propagation, human G6PD deficiency has immense impact on protection against severe malaria, making
Pf
GluPho an attractive antimalarial drug target.
Interleukin-17 Weakens the NAFLD/NASH Process by Facilitating Intestinal Barrier Restoration Depending on the Gut Microbiota
Authors: He Shuying , Cui Shudan , Song Wen , Jiang Yonghong , Chen Hongsheng , Liao Dongjiang , Lu Xinpeng , Li Jun , Chen Xueqing , Peng Liang
Published: March 2022

The morbidity of NASH has increased, with limited effective treatment options. IL-17 plays a protective role in the gut mucosa in high-fat-diet (HFD)-related metabolic disorders, and HFD-related microbiota dysbiosis is responsible for a decreased number of T helper 17 (T
H
17) cells in the lamina propria.