bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Marketing inclusive banking services to financially vulnerable consumers: a service design approach
Authors: Ofori-Okyere Isaac , Edghiem Farag , Kumah Seyram Pearl
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To explore how inclusive banking services are marketed to financially vulnerable consumers (FVCs) in Ghana from the perspective of managers. This study aims to explore this under-researched area and contribute towards a transformative service research in the country.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a multiple case study research approach to analyse six banks, including commercial, development, investment and rural and community banks. Specifically, semi-structured interviews and archival documents were used to collect data from the perspectives of bank managers.

Findings

The empirical research based on practical and theoretical models shows that Ghanaian banks design an array of financial products and services (FPS), adopt innovative traditional marketing strategies and apply inclusive technologies to reach out to the FVCs.

Research limitations/implications

The authors conducted this study on six banks in Ghana; thus, service researchers are cautioned when generalising the findings and conclusions in other contexts beyond the country of focus.

Practical implications

This study offers practical ideas to guide marketers to better understand how banks market their inclusive banking services to FVCs.

Social implications

This paper provides implications for addressing financial inclusion amongst the “unbanked”, “underserved” and “unserved” collectively known as the FVCs and how Ghanaian banks design FPS to improve service research and well-being outcomes.

Originality/value

This study provides vital information to policymakers in designing FPS aimed at achieving an inclusive financial system to improve the well-being of FVCs in Ghana.
Methodological ‘lenses’ influence the characterization of phytoplankton dynamics in a coastal upwelling ecosystem
Authors: Hammond S. William , Lodolo Laura , Hu Sarah K. , Pasulka Alexis L.
Published: September 2022

New technologies enable the opportunity to improve our monitoring and understanding of marine phytoplankton communities. However, careful consideration for how different methodological approaches, or ‘lenses’, influence our interpretation of phytoplankton ecology is important, particularly when drawing conclusions about change over time or space. Using both high‐throughput 18S rRNA gene sequencing and microscopy, we explored how phytoplankton community structure varied over the course of a year within a nearshore semi‐enclosed coastal embayment along the Central Coast of California. The seasonal shift in the relative community dominance (i.e., diatom vs. dinoflagellate dominance) was captured in the microscopy results but not effectively captured in the molecular‐based findings. However, the molecular approach explained more of the variability in composition across seasons relative to the microscopy approach. Temporal dynamics of specific bloom‐forming taxa also differed between the molecular and microscopy results. Overall, the observed differences between the molecular‐ and microscopy‐derived characterization of phytoplankton dynamics suggest that the approaches are best suited to answer different research questions. Moreover, the approaches complement each other for a more comprehensive perspective of a coastal phytoplankton ecosystem. Therefore, identifying the biases of each approach within natural communities is necessary to effectively and accurately characterize phytoplankton communities.
A case of cytokine release syndrome accompanied with COVID‐19 infection during treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors for non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Murata Daiki , Azuma Koichi , Tokisawa Saeko , Tokito Takaaki , Hoshino Tomoaki
Published: September 2022

Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a systemic inflammatory disease caused by a variety of factors, including infections and certain drugs. A 70‐year‐old man who was diagnosed with a postoperative recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma received nivolumab, ipilimumab, pemetrexed and carboplatin every 3 weeks for two cycles followed by nivolumab and ipilimumab, which resulted in a partial response. Four days after the dose of nivolumab, the patient returned with diarrhea and fever. The patient was diagnosed with COVID‐19 infection accompanied by severe colitis. Although intensive care was performed, the patient suddenly went into cardiopulmonary arrest. Examination revealed an abnormally high interleukin‐6 level, suggesting CRS. This is the first report of a patient with CRS accompanied with COVID‐19 infection during treatment with ICIs. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) is a systemic inflammatory disease caused by a variety of factors, including infections and certain drugs. Here, we report a case of non‐small cell lung cancer with CRS caused by COVID‐19 infection during treatment with nivolumab and ipilimumab. Fever is a common event in cancer patients, especially in COVID‐19‐infected patients, but when fever develops during cancer immunotherapy, CRS should always be kept in mind.
Impacts of forest conservation on local agricultural labor supply: Evidence from the Indonesian forest moratorium
Authors: Xu Shang , Klaiber H. Allen , Miteva Daniela A.
Published: September 2022

Tropical forest conservation is critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining global ecosystems. Understanding the channels through which conservation affects agricultural activities and livelihoods in these regions is key to designing effective policies and promoting sustainable development. To this end, we use labor supply data from Indonesia in 2007 and 2015 combined with a matching strategy to estimate the impacts of a national forest conservation policy, the forest moratorium, on local agricultural labor. Consistent with the predictions of our theoretical model, we find robust empirical evidence that the moratorium increased local agricultural employment and slowed structural transformation away from the agricultural sector. We provide corresponding evidence of decreased household expenditure due to the moratorium. Despite the moratorium, we find significant deforestation and forest degradation within the boundaries of the moratorium‐targeted areas, suggesting that increases in local agricultural employment may partly dampen the conservation policy's effectiveness. Our work offers new insights into evaluating existing conservation policies and designing future policies for Indonesia and other resource‐dependent economies that face similar challenges in balancing economic growth with conservation.
When and why does voice sustain or stop? The roles of leader behaviours, power differential perception and psychological safety
Authors: Liu Xin , Mao Jih‐Yu , Chiang Jack Ting‐Ju , Guo Li , Zhang Shanshan
Published: September 2022

Our research investigates when and why voice sustains or ceases at work. Based on the issue‐selling framework and approach/avoidance theory of power, we argue that leader humble behaviour is a power‐equalising behaviour that facilitates subsequent voice after present voice. By contrast, leader abusive behaviour is a power‐asymmetry‐exacerbating behaviour that inhibits subsequent voice after present voice. The results from one experiment conducted in the United States and one two‐wave, two‐source survey study conducted in China demonstrated that when employee present voice was accompanied by leader humble behaviour, employee psychological safety was enhanced, which, in turn, increased subsequent voice. However, when employee present voice was accompanied by leader abusive behaviour, employee psychological safety was reduced, which, in turn, decreased subsequent voice. The field study further demonstrated that power differential perception mediated the interactive effects of employee present voice and leader behaviours on employee psychological safety and, consequently, on subsequent voice.
Letter: serum HBV RNA and HBcrAg may help to evaluate safely stopping nucleot(s)ide analogues in patients with HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B and without cirrhosis
Authors: Wang Meng‐Lan , Wang Fa‐Da , Chen En‐Qiang
Published: September 2022

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Hall et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16968
Editorial: trends in the epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease in Korea – author's reply
Authors: Shim Jung Ok
Published: September 2022

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Choe et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17125 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17152
Editorial: rising rates of venous thromboembolism among hospitalised patients with inflammatory bowel disease in the USA—authors' reply
Authors: Lee Kate E. , Faye Adam S.
Published: September 2022

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Faye et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17162 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17196
Vertical stratification patterns of tropical forest vertebrates: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Basham Edmund W. , Baecher J. Alex , Klinges David H. , Scheffers Brett R.
Published: September 2022

Tropical forests harbour the highest levels of terrestrial biodiversity and represent some of the most complex ecosystems on Earth, with a significant portion of this diversity above ground. Although the vertical dimension is a central aspect of the ecology of forest communities, there is little consensus as to prominence, evenness, and consistency of community‐level stratification from ground to canopy. Here, we gather the results of 62 studies across the tropics to synthesise and assess broad patterns of vertical stratification of abundance and richness in vertebrates, the best studied taxonomic group for which results have not been collated previously. Our review of the literature yielded sufficient data for bats, small mammals, birds and amphibians. We show that variation in the stratification of abundance and richness exists within and among all taxa considered. Bat richness stratification was variable among studies, although bat abundance was weighted towards the canopy. Both bird richness and abundance stratification were variable, with no overriding pattern. On the contrary, both amphibians and small mammals showed consistent patterns of decline in abundance and richness towards the canopy. We descriptively characterise research trends in drivers of stratification cited or investigated within studies, finding local habitat structure and food distribution/foraging to be the most commonly attributed drivers. Further, we analyse the influence of macroecological variables on stratification patterns, finding latitude and elevation to be key predictors of bird stratification in particular. Prominent differences among taxa are likely due to taxon‐specific interactions with local drivers such as vertical habitat structure, food distribution, and vertical climate gradients, which may vary considerably across macroecological gradients such as elevation and biogeographic realm. Our study showcases the complexity with which animal communities organise within tropical forest ecosystems, while demonstrating the canopy as a critical niche space for tropical vertebrates, thereby highlighting the inherent vulnerability of tropical vertebrate communities to forest loss and canopy disturbance. We recognise that analyses were constrained due to variation in study designs and methods which produced a variety of abundance and richness metrics recorded across different arrangements of vertical strata. We therefore suggest the application of best practices for data reporting and highlight the significant effort required to fill research gaps in terms of under‐sampled regions, taxa, and environments.
Pentraxin 3 is an adipose tissue‐related serum marker for pancreatic cancer cachexia predicting subsequent muscle mass and visceral fat loss
Authors: Sato Katsuhiko , Hikita Hayato , Shigekawa Minoru , Kato Seiya , Sasaki Yoichi , Shinkai Kazuma , Fukuoka Makoto , Kudo Shinnosuke , Sato Yu , Fukumoto Kenji , Shirai Kumiko , Myojin Yuta , Sakane Sadatsugu , Murai Kazuhiro , Yoshioka Teppei , Nishio Akira , Kodama Takahiro , Sakamori Ryotaro , Tatsumi Tomohide , Takehara Tetsuo
Published: September 2022

Cancer cachexia, a paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by ongoing skeletal muscle mass loss, is accompanied by adipose tissue loss and strongly affects chemotherapy endurance. Our aim was to detect a serum marker reflecting pancreatic cancer cachexia and predicting subsequent loss of muscle mass and adipose tissue, focusing on adipose tissue‐secreted proteins. Murine‐derived pancreatic cancer cells were orthotopically injected into the mouse pancreatic tail. After 3 weeks, RNA sequencing of perigonadal fat and orthotopic tumors was carried out. We analyzed stocked sera and clinical data of metastatic pancreatic cancer patients who received chemotherapy. Perigonadal fat weight/body weight decreased in mice with orthotopic tumors compared to those without tumors. By RNA sequencing and real‐time PCR validation, pentraxin 3 (PTX3) was identified as a secreted protein‐encoded gene whose expression was significantly higher in the perigonadal fat of mice with orthotopic tumors than in that of mice without orthotopic tumors and was least expressed in orthotopic tumors. Serum PTX3 levels correlated with PTX3 mRNA levels in perigonadal fat and were higher in mice with orthotopic tumors than in those without tumors. In 84 patients diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer, patients with high serum PTX3 levels showed a greater visceral fat loss/month and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) decrease/month than those with low serum PTX3 levels. High serum PTX3 was an independent risk factor for visceral fat loss, decreased SMI, and poor prognosis. High serum PTX3 in pancreatic cancer patients predicts visceral fat and muscle mass loss and major clinical outcomes of cancer cachexia.
Exercise as treatment for alcohol use disorder: A qualitative study
Authors: Gunillasdotter Victoria , Andréasson Sven , Hallgren Mats , Jirwe Maria
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Exercise is a promising treatment option for individuals with alcohol use disorder, but qualitative studies are lacking. Our aim was to explore experiences of yoga and aerobic exercise among non‐treatment‐seeking adults with alcohol use disorder.

Methods

Semi‐structured qualitative interviews (face‐to‐face or telephone) with 12 participants from a randomised controlled trial. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data.

Results

One main category was identified, motivating and maintaining a lifestyle change, including four generic categories: (i) Initiating factors for lifestyle change, which describes how the concept of a lifestyle change initiated participants change; (ii) Influencing lifestyle change, explains how mood‐enhancing effects from exercise influence exercise behaviours; (iii) Influencing physical and mental health, which describes how improvements in physical and mental health influence self‐confidence and self‐esteem; and (iv) Influencing alcohol consumption, which describes how exercise reduced alcohol cravings and that success in changing exercise behaviours made participants take healthier decisions regarding their alcohol intake.

Discussion and Conclusions

Exercise may help reduce alcohol intake, especially when presented in the context of a lifestyle change. Being able to self‐select the type of exercise may increase compliance and optimise these benefits. Intentional planning and positive results from exercise may strengthen the individual's self‐efficacy and increase the motivation to change behaviours associated with alcohol consumption.
Joint one‐sided synthetic unpaired image translation and segmentation for colorectal cancer prevention
Authors: Moreu Enric , Arazo Eric , McGuinness Kevin , O'Connor Noel E.
Published: September 2022

Deep learning has shown excellent performance in analysing medical images. However, datasets are difficult to obtain due privacy issues, standardization problems, and lack of annotations. We address these problems by producing realistic synthetic images using a combination of 3D technologies and generative adversarial networks. We propose CUT‐seg, a joint training where a segmentation model and a generative model are jointly trained to produce realistic images while learning to segment polyps. We take advantage of recent one‐sided translation models because they use significantly less memory, allowing us to add a segmentation model in the training loop. CUT‐seg performs better, is computationally less expensive, and requires less real images than other memory‐intensive image translation approaches that require two stage training. Promising results are achieved on five real polyp segmentation datasets using only one real image and zero real annotations. As a part of this study we release Synth‐Colon, an entirely synthetic dataset that includes 20,000 realistic colon images and additional details about depth and 3D geometry: https://enric1994.github.io/synth-colon
Do family members sleep alike? Sleep features among mothers, fathers, and adolescents
Authors: Punamäki Raija‐Leena , Flykt Marjo , Lindblom Jallu , Tiitinen Aila , Poikkeus Piia , Vänskä Mervi
Published: September 2022

Objective

To identify within‐family groups according to sleep schedule, problems, and impact, reflecting similarities or differences in adolescents, mothers, and fathers and to examine how mental health and attachments associate with these triadic sleep groups.

Background

Family relationships shape sleeping, but within‐family research in adolescence is scarce.

Method

Adolescents (17–18 years; 60% girls; n = 438), mothers (n = 448), and fathers (n = 358) filled in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The adolescents reported mental health problems by the Behavior Assessment System and the parents by the General Health Questionnaire. All reported attachments by the Experiences in Close Relationships.

Results

Cluster analysis identified four triadic sleep groups: “Good family sleep” (47%), “Poor adolescent and maternal sleep” (29%), “Poor paternal sleep” (16%), and “Poor family sleep” (8%). Adolescents in the “Poor family sleep” group had more mental health problems than they did in other groups, and fathers in the “Poor paternal sleep” group showed higher psychiatric symptoms than in the “Good family sleep” or “Poor adolescent and maternal sleep” groups. Adolescents in the “Poor family sleep” group reported higher insecure–anxious attachments than they did in other groups, and fathers reported higher insecure–avoidant and insecure–anxious attachments in the “Poor paternal sleep” than they did in other groups.

Conclusion

A family systems approach provides new insight into sleep, mental health, and attachments.

Implications

Interventions to improve sleep quality should consider family dynamics that may underlie potential sleep problems, and sleep as a public health issue can benefit from knowledge about family mental health and attachments.
Svalbard reindeer winter diets: Long‐term dietary shifts to graminoids in response to a changing climate
Authors: Hiltunen Tamara A. , Stien Audun , Väisänen Maria , Ropstad Erik , Aspi Jouni O. , Welker Jeffery M.
Published: September 2022

Arctic ecosystems are changing dramatically with warmer and wetter conditions resulting in complex interactions between herbivores and their forage. We investigated how Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) modify their late winter diets in response to long‐term trends and interannual variation in forage availability and accessibility. By reconstructing their diets and foraging niches over a 17‐year period (1995–2012) using serum δ13C and δ15N values, we found strong support for a temporal increase in the proportions of graminoids in the diets with a concurrent decline in the contributions of mosses. This dietary shift corresponds with graminoid abundance increases in the region and was associated with increases in population density, warmer summer temperatures and more frequent rain‐on‐snow (ROS) in winter. In addition, the variance in isotopic niche positions, breadths, and overlaps also supported a temporal shift in the foraging niche and a dietary response to extreme ROS events. Our long‐term study highlights the mechanisms by which winter and summer climate changes cascade through vegetation shifts and herbivore population dynamics to alter the foraging niche of Svalbard reindeer. Although it has been anticipated that climate changes in the Svalbard region of the Arctic would be detrimental to this unique ungulate, our study suggests that environmental change is in a phase where conditions are improving for this subspecies at the northernmost edge of the Rangifer distribution.
Derrière le masque: les conditions de travail des travailleurs des plateformes numériques pendant la pandémie de COVID‐19
Authors: HOWSON Kelle , USTEK‐SPILDA Funda , BERTOLINI Alessio , HEEKS Richard , FERRARI Fabian , KATTA Srujana , COLE Matthew , AGUERA RENESES Pablo , SALEM Nancy , SUTCLIFFE David , STEWARD Shelly , GRAHAM Mark
Published: September 2022

Les plateformes de travail numériques ont souvent été présentées comme une solution au chômage engendré par la pandémie. Cependant, la crise a mis en lumière la vulnérabilité des collaborateurs des plateformes, notamment des travailleurs essentiels parmi eux. Les auteurs examinent le comportement de 191 plate‐formes de 43 pays pendant la pandémie pour savoir si celle‐ci a fait évoluer la branche. Sur la base de critères relatifs à l'équité au travail, ils repèrent certains progrès mais aussi des lacunes importantes en matière de protection et concluent à une précarisation du travail, alors même que les plateformes ont plutôt tiré profit de la crise.
Rapid phylogenetic analysis using open reading frame content patterns acquired by Oxford nanopore sequencing
Authors: Hayashi Kengo , Doi Yohei , Suzuki Masahiro
Published: September 2022

Aims

Phylogenetic analysis based on core genome single nucleotide polymorphisms (cgSNPs) using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is increasingly used in epidemiological investigations of bacteria. The approach, however, is both resource intensive and time-consuming. Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) sequencing is capable of real-time data analysis but the high error rate hampers its application in cgSNP-based phylogenetic analysis. Here, we developed a cgSNP-independent phylogenetic analysis method using ONT read assemblies by focusing on open reading frame (ORF) content patterns.

Methods and Results

WGS data of 66 Enterobacter hormaechei strains acquired by both ONT and Illumina sequencing and 162 strains obtained from NCBI database were converted to binary sequences based on the presence or absence of ORFs using BLASTn. Phylogenetic trees calculated from binary sequences (ORF trees) were compared with cgSNP trees derived from Illumina sequences. Clusters of closely related strains in the cgSNP trees formed comparable clusters in the ORF trees built with binary sequences, and the tree topologies between them were similar based on Fowlkes–Mallows index.

Conclusions

The ORF-based phylogenetic analysis using ONT sequencing may be useful in epidemiological investigations and offer advantages over the cgSNP-based approach.

Significance and Impact of the study

Conversion of assembled WGS data to binary sequences based on the presence or absence of ORFs circumvents read error concerns with ONT sequencing. Since ONT sequencing generates data in real time and does not require major investment, this ORF-based phylogenetic analysis method has the potential to enable phylogenetic and epidemiological analysis at the point of care.
Identification of spoilage microflora in draught beer using culture-dependent methods
Authors: Jevons Alexander L. , Quain David E.
Published: September 2022

Aims

To determine whether the culture-dependent spoilage microflora found in draught beer are influenced by beer style.

Methods and Results

Four beer styles—lager, ale, stout and cask ale – were sampled twice from five different public houses (accounts) in four different locations. The microbiological quality of the dispensed beers was determined by a culture-dependent method (‘forcing’), measuring the increase in turbidity after incubation at 30°C. The quality of draught beer varied from ‘excellent’ to ‘poor’ with cask beer samples having a higher Quality Index (90%) with keg ale the lowest (67.5%). With PCR amplified DNA (ITS1, ITS4, 16S rRNA primers) and blast identification of microflora, 386 colonies from agar plates were identified with 28 different micro-organisms from five genera of yeast and six of bacteria. Seven micro-organisms were found in all beer styles with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, B. anomalus and Acetobacter fabarum representing 53% of the identified micro-organisms. A subsequent, limited study using PALL multiplex PCR GeneDisc technology on forced samples (without selection on plates) suggests that draught beer microflora is qualitatively broader. It is noteworthy that the microflora of spoilt draught beer resembles that involved in the production of Belgian Lambic sour beers.

Conclusions

Draught beer was of variable quality. Culture-dependent analysis suggests that species of Brettanomyces and Acetobacter are core microflora with some micro-organisms being associated with beer style.

Significance and Impact of the Study

The microbiological quality of draught beer is important both commercially and to the consumer. Here, we report the core and diverse microflora found in different styles of draught beer using culture-dependent methods.
Efficacy and toxicity of hydrogen peroxide producing electrochemical bandages in a porcine explant biofilm model
Authors: Tibbits Gretchen , Mohamed Abdelrhman , Gelston Suzanne , Flurin Laure , Raval Yash S. , Greenwood-Quaintance Kerryl , Patel Robin , Beyenal Haluk
Published: September 2022

Aims

Effects of H2O2 producing electrochemical-bandages (e-bandages) on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization and biofilm removal were assessed using a porcine explant biofilm model. Transport of H2O2 produced from the e-bandage into explant tissue and associated potential toxicity were evaluated.

Methods and Results

Viable prokaryotic cells from infected explants were quantified after 48 h treatment with e-bandages in three ex vivo S. aureus infection models: (1) reducing colonization, (2) removing young biofilms and (3) removing mature biofilms. H2O2 concentration-depth profiles in explants/biofilms were measured using microelectrodes. Reductions in eukaryotic cell viability of polarized and nonpolarized noninfected explants were compared. e-Bandages effectively reduced S. aureus colonization (p = 0.029) and reduced the viable prokaryotic cell concentrations of young biofilms (p = 0.029) with limited effects on mature biofilms (p > 0.1). H2O2 penetrated biofilms and explants and reduced eukaryotic cell viability by 32–44% compared to nonpolarized explants.

Conclusions

H2O2 producing e-bandages were most active when used to reduce colonization and remove young biofilms rather than to remove mature biofilms.

Significance and Impact of Study

The described e-bandages reduced S. aureus colonization and young S. aureus biofilms in a porcine explant wound model, supporting their further development as an antibiotic-free alternative for managing biofilm infections.
Heart rate variability changes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Wang Zuxing , Jiang Fugui , Xiao Jun , Chen Lili , Zhang Yuan , Li Jieying , Yi Yang , Min Wenjiao , Su Liuhui , Liu Xuemei , Zou Zhili
Published: September 2022

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep breathing disorder related to autonomic nervous function disturbances. Heart rate variability is an important non‐invasive indicator of autonomic nervous system function. The PubMed, Embase, Medline and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for English literature comparing patients with obstructive sleep apnea with controls up to May 2021. Heart rate variability outcomes, including integrated indices (parasympathetic function and total variability), time domain indices (the standard deviation of NN intervals and the root mean square of the successive differences between normal heartbeats) and frequency domain indices (high‐frequency, low‐frequency, very‐low‐frequency and the ratio of low‐frequency to high‐frequency) were derived from the studies. Twenty‐two studies that included 2565 patients with obstructive sleep apnea and 1089 healthy controls were included. Compared with controls, patients with obstructive sleep apnea exhibited significantly reduced parasympathetic function. For the obstructive sleep apnea severity subgroup meta‐analysis, patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea had significantly lower parasympathetic function, high‐frequency, root mean square of the successive differences between normal heartbeats and standard deviation of NN intervals, and higher low‐frequency and ratios of low‐frequency to high‐frequency. However, only the ratio of low‐frequency to high‐frequency was significantly higher in patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnea than in controls. Finally, for the collection time analysis, patients with obstructive sleep apnea had significantly higher low‐frequency and ratio of low‐frequency to high‐frequency at night, significantly lower parasympathetic function, high‐frequency, root mean square of the successive differences between normal heartbeats and standard deviation of NN intervals, and a higher ratio of low‐frequency to high‐frequency during the day than controls. Autonomic function impairment was more serious in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea. During sleep, low‐frequency can well reflect the impairment of autonomic function in obstructive sleep apnea, and the ratio of low‐frequency to high‐frequency may play an important role in obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis.
DNA methylation array analysis for diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor with conspicuous hypothalamic mass. A case report
Authors: Yamada Seiji , Tanikawa Motoki , Shibata Hiromi , Honda‐Kitahara Mai , Nakano Yoshiko , Satomi Kaishi , Sakata Tomohiro , Hirose Takanori , Ichimura Koichi , Mase Mitsuhito
Published: September 2022

Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor (DLGNT) is a rare glioneuronal neoplasm newly included in the 2016 World Health Organization Classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System. Owing to the wide spectrum of its histopathological and radiological features, accurate diagnosis can be challenging. Recently, molecular testing including DNA methylation array has been introduced with the possibility of improving diagnostic accuracy and contributing to the subtyping especially for brain tumors with ambiguous histology. Two molecularly distinct subtypes of DLGNT have been reported: methylation class‐1 (MC‐1) with an indolent clinical course and MC‐2, the latter aggressive. Herein, we report a case of a 14‐year‐old girl with a conspicuous hypothalamic mass lesion and diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging. Biopsy specimens obtained from the hypothalamic lesion endoscopically were mainly composed of oligodendrocyte‐like cells. However, it was difficult to make a definite diagnosis from these non‐specific histological findings. Thus, DNA methylation array analysis was performed additionally by using formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissue, resulting in a diagnosis of “MC‐1 subtype of DLGNT” with a high calibrated score (0.99). Consequently, she was treated conservatively, with neither progression of the tumor nor aggravation of symptoms for the next 12 months. It was concluded that DNA methylation array analysis for DLGNT, a rare glioneuronal tumor, could be a powerful tool not only for accurate diagnosis but also decision‐making in selecting the best treatment.
Phosphorylation status of Bβ subunit acts as a switch to regulate the function of phosphatase PP2A in ethylene‐mediated root growth inhibition
Authors: Shao Zhengyao , Zhao Bo , Kotla Prashanth , Burns Jackson G. , Tran Jaclyn , Ke Meiyu , Chen Xu , Browning Karen S. , Qiao Hong
Published: September 2022

The various combinations and regulations of different subunits of phosphatase PP2A holoenzymes underlie their functional complexity and importance. However, molecular mechanisms governing the assembly of PP2A complex in response to external or internal signals remain largely unknown, especially in Arabidopsis thaliana.

We found that the phosphorylation status of Bβ of PP2A acts as a switch to regulate the activity of PP2A. In the absence of ethylene, phosphorylated Bβ leads to an inactivation of PP2A; the substrate EIR1 remains to be phosphorylated, preventing the EIR1‐mediated auxin transport in epidermis, leading to normal root growth.

Upon ethylene treatment, the dephosphorylated Bβ mediates the formation of the A2–C4–Bβ protein complex to activate PP2A, resulting in the dephosphorylation of EIR1 to promote auxin transport in epidermis of elongation zone, leading to root growth inhibition.

Altogether, our research revealed a novel molecular mechanism by which the dephosphorylation of Bβ subunit switches on PP2A activity to dephosphorylate EIR1 to establish EIR1‐mediated auxin transport in the epidermis in elongation zone for root growth inhibition in response to ethylene.
A CRISPR‐based lateral flow assay for plant genotyping and pathogen diagnostics
Authors: Sánchez Edith , Ali Zahir , Islam Tofazzal , Mahfouz Magdy
Published: September 2022

Efficient pathogen diagnostics and genotyping methods enable effective disease management and breeding, improve crop productivity and ensure food security. However, current germplasm selection and pathogen detection techniques are laborious, time‐consuming, expensive and not easy to mass‐scale application in the field. Here, we optimized a field‐deployable lateral flow assay, Bio‐SCAN, as a highly sensitive tool to precisely identify elite germplasm and detect mutations, transgenes and phytopathogens in <1 h, starting from sample isolation to result output using lateral flow strips. As a proof of concept, we genotyped various wheat germplasms for the Lr34 and Lr67 alleles conferring broad‐spectrum resistance to stripe rust, confirmed the presence of synthetically produced herbicide‐resistant alleles in the rice genome and screened for the presence of transgenic elements in the genome of transgenic tobacco and rice plants with 100% specificity. We also successfully applied this new assay to the detection of phytopathogens, including viruses and bacterial pathogens in Nicotiana benthamiana, and two destructive fungal pathogens (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum) in wheat. Our results illustrate the power of Bio‐SCAN in crop breeding, genetic engineering and pathogen diagnostics to enhance food security. The high sensitivity, simplicity, versatility and in‐field deployability make the Bio‐SCAN as an attractive molecular diagnostic tool for diverse applications in agriculture.
Auxin plays a role in the adaptation of rice to anaerobic germination and seedling establishment
Authors: Lee Kuo‐Wei , Chen Jeremy J. W. , Wu Chung‐Shen , Chang Ho‐Chun , Chen Hong‐Yue , Kuo Hsin‐Hao , Lee Ya‐Shan , Chang Yan‐Lun , Chang Hung‐Chia , Shiue Shiau‐Yu , Wu Yi‐Chen , Ho Yi‐Cheng , Chen Peng‐Wen
Published: September 2022

Auxin is well known to stimulate coleoptile elongation and rapid seedling growth in the air. However, its role in regulating rice germination and seedling establishment under submergence is largely unknown. Previous studies revealed that excessive levels of indole‐3‐acetic acid(IAA) frequently cause the inhibition of plant growth and development. In this study, the high‐level accumulation of endogenous IAA is observed under dark submergence, stimulating rice coleoptile elongation but limiting the root and primary leaf growth during anaerobic germination (AG). We found that oxygen and light can reduce IAA levels, promote the seedling establishment and enhance rice AG tolerance. miRNA microarray profiling and RNA gel blot analysis results show that the expression of miR167 is negatively regulated by submergence; it subsequently modulates the accumulation of free IAA through the miR167‐ARF‐GH3 pathway. The OsGH3‐8 encodes an IAA‐amido synthetase that functions to prevent free IAA accumulation. Reduced miR167 levels or overexpressing OsGH3‐8 increase auxin metabolism, reduce endogenous levels of free IAA and enhance rice AG tolerance. Our studies reveal that poor seed germination and seedling growth inhibition resulting from excessive IAA accumulation would cause intolerance to submergence in rice, suggesting that a certain threshold level of auxin is essential for rice AG tolerance.
Nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs as antipyretics and modulators of a molecular clock(s) in the appendix of Sauromatum venosum inflorescence
Authors: Skubatz H.
Published: September 2022

The appendix of the Sauromatum senosum inflorescence is a striking example of thermogenesis in plants. On the day of opening, the Sauromatum appendix becomes hot, reaching up to 32 °C. Aspirin, salicylic acid and 2,6‐dihydroxybenzoic acid, a subclass of NSAIDs, induce a temperature rise from three mitochondrial sources: alternative oxidase, F1FO‐ATP synthase and adenine nucleotide translocator. This temperature rise is synchronized and compounded under various light/dark regimes. We studied the effect of different subgroups of NSAIDs on the temperature rise.

Tissue slices of appendix of Sauromatum and Arum italicum inflorescences at a pre‐mature stage were treated with the three inducers in combination with one NSAID under constant light or darkness and under different photoperiods.

Temperature rise generated by the three heat sources in the presence of inducers and different non‐selective NSAIDs were not compounded and occurred at three different times. Under constant light, DuP‐697, ibuprofen, flurbiprofen, acetaminophen and diclofenac suppressed the temperature rise induced by the three salicylates. Desynchronization and delayed temperature rise were detected with 6/42‐h light/ dark and 15/33‐h light/dark regimes in the presence of celecoxib and ibuprofen. With a 24/24‐h light/dark regime, temperature rise was suppressed in the presence of ibuprofen. There were differences in response to individual NSAIDs between appendix tissue of A. italicum and S. venosum.

Mitochondrial energy balance is affected by NSAIDs. There is an interaction between light/dark regime and temperature rise and a relationship between timing mechanism and temperature rise.
Within‐family inequalities in human capital accumulation in India
Authors: Fors Heather Congdon , Lindskog Annika
Published: September 2022

We investigate within‐family inequalities in human capital accumulation in India. Indicators of the children's current stock of human capital and of investment into their continued human capital accumulation are analyzed, distinguishing between time investments and pecuniary investment into school quality. We employ a within‐family model using sibship fixed effects, and find mostly negative birth order effects; that is, earlier‐born children are better off. However, for time investments there is a tendency toward more positive birth order effects, especially in poor and large families. This suggests that that opportunity cost of child time matters; in poor and large families the older, more productive, siblings often need to work. The most plausible explanation for negative birth order effects in general is resource dilution at an early age. Older siblings were only children at an early age, and therefore benefited from more parental resources.
The impact of capital goods prices on Africa's economic performance
Authors: Ben Moummad B. , Ezzahid E. , Zoglat A.
Published: September 2022

Over the last four decades, the relative price of investment goods in Africa has gone through a relatively large decrease, resulting in a steady convergence towards the levels recorded in high‐income countries. This fact begs the following question: To what extent might the relative price decrease be a driving force behind the economic performance of this continent? The paper addresses this question from the perspective of a panel ARDL approach, using the Solow growth model—augmented with barriers to investment—as a framework. The results reveal that a one‐unit decrease in the relative price of investment leads, in the long term, to a 4% increase in per capita GDP, an increase that could be neutralised by a 6.5 percentage points decrease in the savings rate. The findings contribute to the case for a policy mix that combines policies geared towards reducing investment distortions with those promoting savings mobilisation.
Prader‐Willi syndrome: Periodontal‐prosthodontic rehabilitation in an adult patient
Authors: Mackert Justin , Mears Brian , Pannu DJ , Ghaly Mira , Londono Jimmy , El‐Awady Ahmed R. , Peacock Mark E.
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Prader‐Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare genetic multisystemic disease that is the most common inherited cause of severe childhood obesity. PWS patients are prone to significant oral and systemic health issues that detrimentally affect quality of life and decrease longevity. This report documents full‐mouth pre‐prosthetic surgical and restorative care in an adult PWS patient.

Case Report

The patient, a 29‐year‐old male, presented to the clinic accompanied by his guardians (parents) with the chief complaint that “My Teeth are breaking down and I would like to get them fixed”. Periodontal and prosthetic comprehensive clinical and radiographic exams revealed a severely worn dentition, deep anterior overbite, altered passive eruption with generalized biofilm‐induced gingivitis, and altered occlusal vertical dimension. Full mouth crown lengthening surgery combined with full mouth prosthodontic reconstruction was performed under parenteral sedation and local anesthesia. Completion of treatment was successful, and the patient was placed on a 3‐month periodontal maintenance interval.

Discussion

Full mouth periodontal surgical and prosthodontic reconstruction on a PWS patient has not previously been reported in the literature. This case underscores the potential need for complex dental care in patients with this syndrome.
The Wretched of Middle‐Earth: An Orkish Manifesto☆
Authors: Mills Charles W.
Published: September 2022

This previously‐unpublished essay by the late Charles W. Mills (1951–2021) seeks to demonstrate the racially‐structured character of the universe created by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Written long before the popular film series, the essay critically examines Tolkien's novels and comments on the nature of fictional creation. Mills argues that Tolkien designs a racial hierarchy in the novels that recapitulates the central racist myth of European thought.
Service trade restrictiveness and foreign direct investment—Evidence from greenfield FDI in business services
Authors: Jungmittag Andre , Marschinski Robert
Published: September 2022

We study the impact of service trade restrictions on bilateral greenfield FDI projects in four business services sectors within a gravity model framework. Project level FDI data for 43 destination countries and up to 41 source countries spanning the years 2014–2020 stems from the fDi Markets database and restrictions from the OECD's Service Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI). Using a negative binomial estimator to explain the number of bilateral FDI projects, we find that service trade restrictions represent a significant barrier for greenfield FDI. In three out of four business services, we obtain statistically significant evidence of a negative effect of the compound STRI level. Using three sub‐components of the index (restrictions to foreign entry, restrictions to the movement of people, other service trade restrictions) generally improves the explanatory power of the models. To illustrate potential magnitudes, we simulate how the number of expected FDI projects would increase in response to a hypothetical policy reform reducing relevant restrictions by 50%. We find average increases across the destination countries ranging between 20% and 104%, with a strong dependence on which business service sector is considered and whether or not the FDI projects only involve countries of the European Economic Area (EEA).
Factores internos y externos en el desenvolvimiento del ecoturismo
Authors: Cuevas Islas Selene Nohemi , Rosas Baños Mara
Published: September 2022

El ecoturismo es una actividad que se ha estudiado principalmente desde su contribución al desarrollo comunitario, sin embargo, hay una fase inicial en la implementación de éste que da respuesta a lo que ha sucedido con muchos proyectos que, una vez cuentan con la infraestructura para operar, ésta tiende a ser abandonada u operar de manera parcial. El objetivo de este artículo consiste en analizar el papel que juegan los factores internos y externos en el desenvolvimiento del ecoturismo, a partir de un estudio comparativo de dos parques ecoturísticos. Se realizaron entrevistas grupales, se utilizó el método de categorización y el software Atlas.ti 8.4.15.0.
Large Eddy Simulation Studies on Effects of Soot Productivity in a Momentum Dominated Strained Diffusion Jet Flames
Authors: N.H. Mohamed Ibrahim , Udayakumar M. , Balasubramanian Dhinesh , Tran Viet Dung , Truong Thanh Hai , Nguyen Van Nhanh
Published: September 2022

The present numerical study is to determine the soot volume fraction, rate of soot nucleation, rate of coagulation, rate of surface growth, and rate of surface oxidation for flame configurations having the fuel mixture composition of C2H4: H2: N2 (63.4: 4.7: 31.9% by mass) along with air. The Brookes–Moss–Hall and OH oxidation radical is coupled with the combustion and P−1 radiation model. The inputs needed for this numerical study to determine soot volume fraction are maintained the same as the earlier experimental conditions. The hyperbolic function in the governing models is interpolated with quadratic upwind interpolation for convective kinetics, diffusion function with second-order upwind in space, and bounded second-order implicit in time. A suitable pressure implicit method for splitting operators, and a pressure–velocity coupler are also incorporated to evaluate pressure to satisfy continuity. The above governing models are solved using the ILU method with a unity Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy number. It is observed that along the axial direction, the flame with 12,900 s−1 shows higher rate of soot nucleation and rate of soot coagulation compared with the flame having lower strain rate. Also, the highest strain rate flame shows the lowest rate of soot surface growth, and also the rate of soot oxidation is the least.
Acceleration of a Physics-Based Machine Learning Approach for Modeling and Quantifying Model-Form Uncertainties and Performing Model Updating
Authors: Azzi Marie-Jo , Ghnatios Chady , Avery Philip , Farhat Charbel
Published: September 2022

The nonparametric probabilistic method (NPM) for modeling and quantifying model-form uncertainties is a physics-based, computationally tractable, machine learning method for performing uncertainty quantification and model updating. It extracts from data information not captured by a deterministic, high-dimensional model (HDM) of dimension N and infuses it into a counterpart stochastic, hyperreduced, projection-based reduced-order model (SHPROM) of dimension n ≪ N. Here, the robustness and performance of NPM are improved using a two-pronged approach. First, the sensitivities of its stochastic loss function with respect to the hyperparameters are computed analytically, by tracking the complex web of operations underlying the construction of that function. Next, the theoretical number of hyperparameters is reduced from O(n2) to O(n), by developing a network of autoencoders that provides a nonlinear approximation of the dependence of the SHPROM on the hyperparameters. The robustness and performance of the enhanced NPM are demonstrated using two nonlinear, realistic, structural dynamics applications.