bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Festival of India
Authors: Nicholson Rashna Darius
Published: April 2024

An in-depth study of the Festival of India (1985–1986) in the United States, one of the biggest events ever mounted to promote goodwill between two countries. Comprising more than seven hundred programs of music, dance, drama, film shows, art exhibitions, and workshops sponsored by over two hundred cultural institutions across over a hundred cities, the festival constituted a prismatic event that refracted the complex forces at play on the global stage during the 1980s. The Element delineates how this multi-sited spectacle of unprecedented size and near unfathomable political, economic, and cultural influence impacted theatre and performance studies. Simultaneously, it traces how two complex historical shifts were communicated to the global public at the end of the Cold War: India's desire to transition from planned Nehruvian socialism to laissez faire capitalism and the efflorescence of the model of 'cultural development' that centred the arts in development.
Approaching the Interval in the Early Modern Theatre
Authors: Hutchings Mark
Published: April 2024

In requiring artificial light, the early modern indoor theatre had to interrupt the action so that the candles could be attended to, if necessary. The origin of the five-act, four-interval play was not classical drama but candle technology. This Element explores the implications of this aspect of playmaking. Drawing on evidence in surviving texts it explores how the interval affected composition and stagecraft, how it provided opportunities for stage-sitters, and how amphitheatre plays were converted for indoor performance (and vice versa). Recovering the interval yields new insights into familiar texts and brings into the foreground interesting examples of how the interval functioned in lesser-known plays. This Element concludes with a discussion of how this aspect of theatre might feed into the debate over the King's Men's repertory management in its Globe-Blackfriars years and sets out the wider implications for both the modern theatre and the academy.
Delegated Rule-making in Times of Crisis: New Challenges for Democratic Scrutiny?
Authors: Gallinella Giulia , Christiansen Thomas
Published: April 2024

The delegation of powers to the European Commission, facilitating the adoption of non-legislative acts to implement centrally provisions of European legislation, has long been an essential part of administrative governance in the European Union. However, the established practice of delegating legslative and implementing powers to the European Commission has increased over the last decade, at the same time in the context of the various crises that the EU has had to confront during this period. The crisis context has generally demonstrated that executive institutions often emergency politics, and the amplified use of delegated powers in such circumstances raises questions about the capacity of legislative institutions to carry out their usual control and scrutiny functions. The concern here is whether – at times when the established mechanisms of control need to be carried out in times of crisis, under greater time pressure – there is the risk of legislative institutions (that had originally delegated powers to the Commission) are being sidelined, with the detrimental effects that this may have on the democratic accountability of the whole process. Against this background of normative question-marks, this article examines empirically to what extent the scrutiny of the Commission’s adoption of delegated powers has fundamentally changed during times of emergency. In particular, it provides an analysis of the use of delegated powers by the European Commission in the context of the EU’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic in order to establish whether the Council and the European Parliament managed to enable the usual control mechanisms effectively. By way of conclusion, the article discusses the implications of the findings for the wider discussion and the future use of emergency governance in the European Union.
Surveillance of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli in perianal swab samples
Authors: Çalışkan Gül , Eren Hale , Aslan Funda , Tezgeç Nergis , İmer Habibe , Souleiman Esma , Tüzemen Ülkü , Önal Uğur , Kazak Esra , Heper Yasemin , Yılmaz Emel , Özakın Cüneyt , Akalın Halis
Published: April 2024

Our study aimed to detect carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and/or carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli in perianal swab samples, exploring their link to bloodstream infections (BSIs) in a tertiary-care university hospital. CRKP-related BSIs ranged from 3.7% to 9.58%, emphasizing the need to understand local risk factors for effective infection control.
Wave front perturbation effect on the variability of monopile wave impact loads
Authors: Moalemi Arefhossein , Bredmose Henrik , Kristiansen Trygve , Pierella Fabio
Published: April 2024

The slamming wave force and pressure variabilities for monopile wave impacts are studied as functions of wave breaking shape and transverse perturbations on the breaking wave front. The impacting wave topology is characterized as slosh, flip-through,

$\varOmega$

, overturning and fully broken. Fifty test repetitions are conducted for each type of wave impact to assess the variability of force impulse, force and pressure. The results for the unperturbed cases show that the slamming force is highest among the nominal slosh, flip-through and

$\varOmega$

tests, and that the slamming force variability is highest for the first two. We demonstrate that the slamming force and pressure variabilities decrease notably after selecting and regrouping the tests by similar crest heights and temporal slopes measured at an upstream wave gauge. The group representing

$\varOmega$

wave impacts shows the largest mean slamming force and peak pressure, and their variability is the highest among all groups. Further, the effect of lateral perturbations on the pressure, force and impulse variabilities is investigated. Due to the perturbations, the slamming pressure variability for the wave impacts in which the wave front hits the monopile surface increases significantly. The variability of the slamming force is also increased for the perturbed impacts; however, it is smaller than the slamming pressure variability. The force impulse variability shows a low sensitivity to perturbations, and its magnitude is smaller than that of the force variability. Finally, the slamming pressure using fifteen pressure sensors for five selected events is studied. For these tests, oscillations at frequencies associated with structural or bubble oscillations are seen. Further, the air entertainment is documented through video recordings.
Emergence of a hexagonal pattern in shear-thickening suspensions under orbital oscillations
Authors: Shi Li-Xin , Hu Meng-Fei , Zhao Song-Chuan
Published: April 2024

A dense particle suspension under shear may lose its uniform state to large local density and stress fluctuations, which challenge the mean-field description of the system. Here, we explore the novel dynamics of a non-Brownian suspension under orbital oscillations, where localized density waves along the flow direction appear beyond an excitation frequency threshold and self-organize into a hexagonal pattern across the system. The spontaneous occurrence of the inhomogeneity pattern arises from a coupling between particle advection and the shear-thickening nature of the suspension. Through linear stability analysis, we show that they overcome the stabilizing effects of particle pressure at sufficient particle volume fraction and oscillation frequency. In addition, the long-standing density waves degenerate into random fluctuations when replacing the free surface with rigid confinement. It indicates that the shear-thickened state is intrinsically heterogeneous, and the boundary conditions are crucial for developing local disturbance.
Evolution of wind-induced wave groups in water of finite depth
Authors: Maleewong Montri , Grimshaw Roger
Published: April 2024

The generation of water waves by wind is a fundamental and much-studied problem of scientific and operational concern. One mechanism that has obtained a wide degree of acceptance and use is the Miles air shear flow instability theory in which water waves grow due to energy transfer from the air at a critical level where the wave phase speed matches the wind speed. In this paper we revisit and extend this theory by examining how the predicted wave growth rate depends on the water depth and the wind shear parameters. At the same time we include frictional effects due to water bottom stress and at the water surface, and add an additional driving term due to wave stress in the air near the sea surface, using a turbulent parametrisation. The theory is developed using a frictional modification of the usual potential flow theory for water waves, the modified Euler equations, coupled to linearised air-flow equations. To assist our analysis we develop a long-wave approximation for the key Miles growth parameter, which explicitly shows how this depends on the water depth and the wind shear parameters. Since our focus is on the development of wave groups, we present a forced nonlinear Schrödinger equation in which the forcing term describes wave growth or decay. For very shallow water the modified Euler equations are reduced to their shallow-water counterpart, which are briefly discussed using Riemann invariants.
On the low-frequency flapping motion in flow separation
Authors: Fang Xingjun , Wang Zhan
Published: April 2024

Transitional separating flow induced by a rectangular plate subjected to uniform incoming flow at Reynolds number (based on the incoming velocity and half plate height) 2000 is investigated using direct numerical simulation. The objective is to unveil the long-lasting mystery of low-frequency flapping motion (FM) in flow separation. At a fixed streamwise-vertical plane or from the perspective of previous experimental studies using pointwise or planar measurements, FM manifests as a low-frequency periodic switching between low and high velocities covering the entire separation bubble. The results indicate that in three-dimensional space, FM reflects an intricate evolution of streamwise elongated streaky structures under the influence of separated shear layer and mean flow reversal. The FM is an absolute instability, and is initiated through a lift-up mechanism boosted by mean flow deceleration near the crest of the separating streamline. At this particular location, the shear bends the vortex filament abruptly, so that one end is vertically struck into the first half of the separation bubble, whereas the other end is extended in the streamwise direction in the second half of the separation bubble. These two ends of vortex filament are mutually sustained and also stretched by the vertical acceleration and streamwise acceleration in the first and second halves of the separation bubble, respectively. This process periodically switches the low-velocity (or high-velocity) streaky structure to a high-velocity (or low-velocity) streaky structure encompassing the entire separation bubble, and thus flaps the separated shear layer up and down in the vertical direction. A ‘large vortex’ shedding manifests when the streaky structure switches signs. This large vortex is fundamentally different from the spanwise vortex shedding residing in the shear layer originated from the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and successive vortex amalgamation. It is also believed that the three-dimensional evolution of streaky structures in the form of FM is applicable for both geometry- and pressure-induced separating flows.
Inertial coalescence of drops with some viscosity
Authors: Beaty Edward , Lister John R.
Published: April 2024

When two fluid drops touch, they coalesce due to surface tension. At early times, there is only a relatively small fluid bridge joining the drops. An asymptotic solution is presented for an inertial regime of early-time coalescence, in which inertial forces balance surface tension at leading order. It is demonstrated that viscosity nevertheless has a leading-order effect. Radial momentum is created at the tightly curved edge of the fluid bridge by the net force

$2\gamma$

(per unit length) due to surface tension. This momentum is left behind the radially expanding bridge edge in a thin viscous wake. The divergent volume flux in the wake entrains fluid from above and below the bridge, and drives an inviscid irrotational flow in the drops on the scale of the bridge radius. This flow widens the gap between the drops ahead of the bridge, and the larger gap width results in a lower rate of coalescence. Including viscosity in this way improves the agreement between theory and the available experimental and numerical data.
Using the “proper one”: language ideology in the context of Kemalism and neo-Ottomanism
Authors: Yağlı Emre
Published: April 2024

Düzgün Türkçe (proper Turkish) is an expression used to refer to well-formed linguistic structures and orthography. On Twitter, where the digital language is visible, language users, by employing the expression, comment on others’ spelling styles about what is “true” or “false.” In the context of Turkey’s ongoing conflict on the use of Latin scripts after Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi; AKP) policymakers’ voices over the alphabet, I argue that the expression has gained social meanings associated with two diametrically opposing ideologies: Kemalism and neo-Ottomanism. Further, I also assert that there is a semiotic contrast between these two ideologies in the context of orthography. Thus, by being aware of this contrast and operating on the semiotic resources available to them, language users deploy their language ideologies. Drawing on interactional data on Twitter, this study brings an understanding of the process of how language users deploy their language ideologies by commenting on others’ spelling styles. In explaining the outworkings of this process, the study builds on the concept of indexical order.
Navigating Potential Pitfalls in Difference-in-Differences Designs: Reconciling Conflicting Findings on Mass Shootings’ Effect on Electoral Outcomes
Authors: HASSELL HANS J. G. , HOLBEIN JOHN B.
Published: April 2024

Work on the electoral effects of gun violence in the U.S. relying on difference-in-differences designs has produced findings ranging from null to substantively large effects. However, as difference-in-difference designs, on which this research relies, have exploded in popularity, scholars have documented several methodological issues including potential violations of parallel-trends and unaccounted for treatment effect heterogeneity. These pitfalls (and their solutions) have not been fully explored in political science. We apply these advancements to the unresolved debate on gun violence’s effects on U.S. electoral outcomes. We show that studies finding a large positive effect of gun violence on Democratic vote shares are a product of a failure to properly specify difference-in-differences models when underlying assumptions are unlikely to hold. Once these biases are corrected, shootings show little evidence of sparking large electoral change. Our work clarifies an unresolved debate and provides a cautionary guide for scholars currently employing difference-in-differences designs.
On the fractional powers of a Schrödinger operator with a Hardy-type potential
Authors: Siclari Giovanni
Published: April 2024

Strong unique continuation properties and a classification of the asymptotic profiles are established for the fractional powers of a Schrödinger operator with a Hardy-type potential, by means of an Almgren monotonicity formula combined with a blow-up analysis.
The distribution of the introduced tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi in Australian freshwater fishes
Authors: Dove A.D.M. , Fletcher A.S.
Published: April 2024

Native and exotic fishes were collected from 29 sites across coastal and inland New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, using a range of techniques, to infer the distribution of Bothriocephalus acheilognathi (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) and the host species in which it occurs. The distribution of B. acheilognathi was determined by that of its principal host, carp, Cyprinuscarpio; it did not occur at sites where carp were not present. The parasite was recorded from all native fish species where the sample size exceeded 30 and which were collected sympatrically with carp: Hypseleotris klunzingeri, Hypseleotris sp. 4, Hypseleotris sp. 5, Phylipnodon grandiceps and Retropinna semoni. Bothriocephalus acheilognathi was also recorded from the exotic fishes Gambusia holbrooki and Carassiusauratus. Hypseleotris sp. 4, Hypseleotris sp. 5, P. grandiceps, R. semoni and C. auratus are new host records. The parasite was not recorded from any sites in coastal drainages. The only carp population examined from a coastal drainage (Albert River, south-east Queensland) was also free of infection; those fish had a parasite fauna distinct from that of carp in inland drainages and may represent a separate introduction event. Bothriocephalus acheilognathi has apparently spread along with its carp hosts and is so far restricted to the Murray-Darling Basin. The low host specificity of this parasite is cause for concern given the threatened or endangered nature of some Australian native freshwater fish species. A revised list of definitive hosts of B. acheilognathiis presented.
'Cebiche'– a potential source of human anisakiasis in Mexico?
Authors: Laffon-Leal S.M. , Vidal-Martínez V.M. , Arjona-Torres G.
Published: April 2024

Five fish species used for preparation of a popular dish (cebiche) made with raw fish flesh in Mexico were obtained from five localities of the coast of Yucatan. Lutjanus synagris, Gerres cinereus, Sphyraena barracuda, Epinephelus morio and Haemulon plumieriwere examined for the presence of larvae of anisakid nematodes, causative agents of human anisakiasis. The nematode Pseudoterranova sp. was found in E. morio and S. barracuda with a total prevalence of 83% and 6.5 ± 6.2 worms per fish for E. morio, and a prevalence of 33% and 10.2 ± 30.0 worms per fish forS. barracuda. Contracaecumsp. was found to infect G.cinereus with a prevalence of 57% and 7.6 ± 11.4 worms per fish. The relatively high prevalence of Pseudoterranova sp. indicates that this parasite is a potential causal agent of anisakiasis on the coast of Yucatan. Although all larvae were found only in the mesentery of the fish host, their importance as a potential source of human infection cannot be excluded as larval migration to the muscles in dead fish is possible.
Molecular evidence for the presence of a G7 genotype of Echinococcus granulosus in Slovakia
Authors: Šnábel V. , D'Amelio S. , Mathiopoulos K. , Turčeková L. , Dubinský P.
Published: April 2024

Variability in Echinococcus granulosus is very important epidemiologically since strain characteristics may influence local patterns of transmission of hydatid disease. To classify the genotype presented in pig protoscoleces of the Slovak territory, a DNA-based approach has been used. Nucleotide sequences for a 471 bp region of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 1 (ND1) gene revealed a substantial affinity of isolates examined to the G7 genotype. Only a 0.9–3.4% sequence variation was recorded for E. granulosus samples compared with the reference G7 variant. To distinguish between G7 and G9 genotypes not differing in ND1 sequences, isolates were additionally examined by PCR-RFLP analysis of the nuclear ITS1 region. The resulting two-banded pattern is characteristic for the G7 strain. The data presented thus provides the first explicit evidence of the G7 genotype in the Slovak region.
A field study of natural infections in three freshwater snails with Fasciola hepatica and/or Paramphistomum daubneyi in central France
Authors: Abrous M. , Rondelaud D. , Dreyfuss G.
Published: April 2024

Natural infections of three freshwater snails with Fasciola hepatica and/or Paramphistomum daubneyi were studied during two periods in 1996 and 1997 (June–July and September–October) on 18 farms located in the departments of Vienne and Haute Vienne (central France), and known for low prevalences of F. hepatica infections in ruminants. A total of 1573 Lymnaea glabra and 1421 L. truncatula 6 mm high or more were collected in the meadows of 13 farms and dissected under laboratory conditions. Snails with single or concurrent infections of F. hepatica and/or P. daubneyi were found for each Lymnaea species. InL. truncatula, global prevalences of natural infections with F. hepatica (3.8% in June–July, and 3.6% in September–October) were significantly greater than those recorded for P. daubneyi (1.1% and 0.8%, respectively). In L. glabra, global prevalences of F. hepatica infections (0.4% in each investigation period) were significantly lower than those found in L. truncatula, whereas there were no significant differences between prevalences of P. daubneyi infections. A total of 2721 Planorbis leucostoma measuring at least 4 mm in diameter were collected in the meadows of the other five farms on which L. truncatula was absent. In these planorbids, global prevalences of natural infections with F. hepatica were 0.4% in each period of investigation. Contrary to fasciolosis, snail infections with P. daubneyi were not noted on all farms of the Vienne and Haute-Vienne departments. Natural single or concurrent infections with F. hepatica and/or P. daubneyi in L. glabra and a natural infection of P. leucostoma with F. hepatica were found in swampy meadows on acid soil.
Genomic variability within laboratory and wild isolates of the trichostrongyle mouse nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus
Authors: Abu-Madi M.A. , Mohd-Zain S.N. , Lewis J.W. , Reid A.P.
Published: April 2024

PCR-RFLP techniques have been used to characterize wild and laboratory isolates of the trichostrongyle nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus from the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus and the laboratory mouse Mus musculus respectively. Both isolates can be distinguished by eight endonuclease digestions of the ITS region of the rDNA repeat namely, Alu I, Dde I, Hpa II, Hae III, Hinf I, Hha I, Pvu II and Sal I. In two of the digests, Hinf I and Rsa I, a minor polymorphism was observed in the wild isolate of H. polygyrus which has been cultured in laboratory-bred A. sylvaticus for several generations when compared with H. p. polygyrus from wild A. sylvaticus. A minor polymorphism was also identified in further wild isolates of H. polygyrus collected from A. sylvaticus in a field site in Egham, Surrey. However no evidence of polymorphism was observed in the laboratory isolate of H. polygyrus from the CD1 strain of M. musculus and the laboratory-bred A. sylvaticus. Reasons for this are discussed and further studies on the population genetics of H. polygyrus are suggested.
Effects of Bothriocephalus acheilognathi on the polarization response of pronephric leucocytes of carp, Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Nie P. , Hoole D.
Published: April 2024

An in vitro assay was used to examine the effect of Bothriocephalus acheilognathi Yamaguti, 1934 (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) on the polarization response of pronephric leucocytes of carp, Cyprinus carpio. Leucocytes, isolated from naive, naturally-infected fish and carp injected intraperitoneally with cestode extracts, were exposed to parasite extracts (protein concentrations 0–10.0 μg ml-1), for up to 24 h in the presence or absence of carp serum. In general, polarization responses of the pronephric leucocytes, primarily neutrophils and eosinophils, increased with incubation time although there was no significant difference in the response induced by the different protein concentrations. Differences in the polarization response were, however, observed in naive, naturally infected and injected fish and the cells responded differently in the presence and absence of carp serum. In the absence of carp serum the polarization response of pronephric leucocytes in vitro was significantly reduced with cells obtained from injected and naturally infected fish compared with those obtained from naive carp. This suppression of leucocyte migration was however reduced by the addition of carp serum to the in vitro system. The role of this interaction between the possible suppression of polarization induced by the parasite and stimulation by serum is discussed.
Community structure of helminth parasites of the tuna, Euthynnus affinis, from the Visakhapatnam coast, Bay of Bengal
Authors: Madhavi R. , Ram B.K. Sai
Published: April 2024

An analysis is made of the community structure of the helminth parasites of the tuna Euthynnus affinis collected off the coast of Visakhapatnam, Bay of Bengal. The helminth fauna comprised 23 species, consisting of two monogeneans, 18 digeneans, one larval cestode, one nematode and one acanthocephalan. Didymozoids, represented by 14 species, were the dominant members of the parasite spectrum. The parasite assemblage is characterized by species richness as well as a high diversity. Most of the parasites found, the didymozoids in particular, were host specialists, exhibiting a high degree of host specificity. The fauna comprised three core species, four satellite species and many secondary species, with no potential for interaction among them but the degree of predictability is high in that each infracommunity comprised two or three core species superimposed by a few secondary species. Many host factors such as the varied diet, high vagility, long life span and endothermy appear to have contributed to the development of the species rich and diverse parasite communities in the tuna. There was evidence for a decrease in parasite density and an increase in diversity with increase in host size, indicating that host size has a profound influence on the component community structure.
Improved methods for recovering eggs of Toxocara canis from soil
Authors: Ybáñez M.R. Ruiz de , Garijo M. , Goyena M. , Alonso F.D.
Published: April 2024

The ingestion of soil in parks and public places containing eggs of Toxocara may constitute a significant health risk, particularly to children. To determine the most efficient method for extracting eggs from experimentally contaminated soil, two consecutive studies were undertaken. Four techniques, including washing, sieving, vacuum, and the one recommended by the World Health Organization, were evaluated. Recovery rates of over 85% were recorded with both washing and sieving methods. Using the washing technique, all combinations of the four pre-treatment solutions, distilled water, acetoacetic solution pH 5, 0.1 N sodium hydroxide and 1% Tween 20, and seven flotation fluids with different specific gravities (S.G.) ranging from 1.20 to 1.35 were assayed. The association of distilled water and saccharose solution with an S.G. of 1.27 showed the best results, with a recovery rate of 99.91%.
Effects of a 100 metacercarial cyst inoculum on the host–parasite relationship of Echinostoma caproni and ICR mice
Authors: Balfour C.D. , Rossi M. , Fried B.
Published: April 2024

The host–parasite relationship of a 100 metacercarial cyst inoculum of Echinostoma caproni in the ICR mouse was examined. Three groups of mice, A, B and C, each with six mice per group were used and all mice were necropsied at 14 days postinfection (p.i.), at which time the worms were ovigerous. Group A consisted of uninfected controls, whereas group B received 25 cysts per mouse (low dose) and group C received 100 cysts per mouse (high dose). There was no significant difference in food consumption between any of the groups from 0 to 14 days p.i. Control mice increased their body weight by 12%, group B by 5%, and group C showed a less than 1% increase in body weight between 0 and 14 days p.i. Echinostome parasitism caused a significant increase in the diameter of the mouse gut, with the gut of group C being more significantly dilated than that of either group A or B. The average worm recovery from group B was 20 worms per host, compared to 72 worms per host from group C. The mean wet and dry weights per worm from group B were 2.4 and 0.4 mg, respectively as compared to 0.6 and 0.2 mg respectively for group C. The mean number of uterine eggs per worm from group B was 180 compared to 125 for worms from group C. Worms from group C were more widely distributed in the small intestine than those from group B. Crowding effects associated with the high dose infection were clearly demonstrated in E. caproni from ICR mice.
Comparison of the antigenicity of protoscoleces and microvesicles of Echinococcus multilocularis prepared from rats
Authors: Ito A. , Kanazawa T. , Nakao M. , Sako Y. , Ishikawa Y. , Nakaya K.
Published: April 2024

Rats are known to be relatively resistant to infection with Echinococcus multilocularis. However, when rats are inoculated with the parasite tissues, E. multilocularis proliferates slowly at first but after 6 months the cysts increase in size considerably and contain large numbers of protoscoleces. As rats survive for 18 months or longer, approximately 100 ml of packed protoscoleces can be produced from each rat. A comparison of the antigenicity of the protoscoleces and microvesicles by immunoblot methods showed that both Em18 and Em16 are shared components between both protoscoleces and microvesicles, although the latter have some additional antigenic components. In antigens prepared from protoscoleces, the banding patterns around Em18 were much simpler than those from microvesicles. Therefore, for serodiagnosis of E. multilocularis, antigens should be carefully prepared from protoscoleces rather than microvesicles from the rat.
A comparison of the prevalence of Spirocerca lupi in three groups of dogs with different life and hunting styles
Authors: Mylonakis M.E. , Koutinas A.F. , Liapi M.V. , Saridomichelakis M.N. , Rallis T.S.
Published: April 2024

The prevalence of Spirocerca lupi in 260 privately owned dogs with different life and hunting styles in Greece was based on the examination of randomly taken faecal samples using Teleman's sedimentation technique. The dogs did not demonstrate any clinical signs of spirocerciasis. Although the prevalence was 10%, it was found to be significantly higher in trace hunting dogs (21%), than in scent hunting dogs (5%) and household pets (0%). There was no relationship between prevalence and age/sex of dogs. The impact of life and hunting styles on the prevalence of S. lupi in the dog and that of the faecal examination technique, are discussed.
Mutation, allomorphy and Galician clitics
Authors: Kastner Itamar
Published: April 2024

The Galician definite article and direct object clitics exhibit allomorphy-like alternations which raise a number of questions for the morphology-phonology interface. This squib highlights inadequacies of allomorphic approaches to these alternations, outlining a novel way forward in which segmental changes apply to a stem in a fashion reminiscent of Celtic mutation. Differences between the article and the object clitic can then be ascribed to their prosodic weights, evident elsewhere in the language. Taken together, these findings expand our view of potential triggers for morphophonological alternations.
The effectiveness and safety of dialectical behavior therapy for suicidal ideation and behavior in autistic adults: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial
Authors: Huntjens Anne , van den Bosch L. M. C. (Wies) , Sizoo Bram , Kerkhof Ad , Smit Filip , van der Gaag Mark
Published: April 2024

Backgrounds

Many autistic people in mental health are suicidal. This study evaluated the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) v. treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

Methods

At six Dutch mental health centers, 123 outpatients (18–65 years) with DSM-5 diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and suicidal behavior were randomly assigned to the DBT intervention group (n = 63) or TAU control group (n = 60). Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-treatment at 6 months and 12-month follow-up. The primary outcomes were severity of suicidal ideation and frequency of suicide attempts. The severity of depression and social anxiety were secondary outcomes.

Results

At end-of-treatment, DBT significantly reduced both suicidal ideation (z = −2.24; p = 0.025; b = −4.41; s.e. = 197.0) and suicide attempts (z = −3.15; p = 0.002; IRR = 0.046; s.e. = 0.045) compared to TAU, but lost statistical significance at the 12-month follow-up. Depression severity significantly decreased with DBT (z = −1.99; p = 0.046: b = −2.74; s.e. = 1.37) remaining so at 12 months (z = −2.46; p = 0.014; b = −3.37; s.e. = 1.37). No effects were observed on social anxiety. Severe adverse events included two suicides in the TAU condition.

Conclusions

DBT is an acceptable, safe, and short-term effective intervention to reduce suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in autistic adults with suicidal behavior.
Application of natural language processing to predict final recommendation of Brazilian health technology assessment reports
Authors: Cardoso Marilia Mastrocolla de Almeida , Machado-Rugolo Juliana , Thabane Lehana , da Rocha Naila Camila , Barbosa Abner Mácula Pacheco , Komoda Denis Satoshi , de Almeida Juliana Tereza Coneglian , Curado Daniel da Silva Pereira , Weber Silke Anna Theresa , de Andrade Luis Gustavo Modelli
Published: April 2024

Introduction

Health technology assessment (HTA) plays a vital role in healthcare decision-making globally, necessitating the identification of key factors impacting evaluation outcomes due to the significant workload faced by HTA agencies.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to predict the approval status of evaluations conducted by the Brazilian Committee for Health Technology Incorporation (CONITEC) using natural language processing (NLP).

Methods

Data encompassing CONITEC’s official report summaries from 2012 to 2022. Textual data was tokenized for NLP analysis. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator, logistic regression, support vector machine, random forest, neural network, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), were evaluated for accuracy, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) score, precision, and recall. Cluster analysis using the k-modes algorithm categorized entries into two clusters (approved, rejected).

Results

The neural network model exhibited the highest accuracy metrics (precision at 0.815, accuracy at 0.769, ROC AUC at 0.871, and recall at 0.746), followed by XGBoost model. The lexical analysis uncovered linguistic markers, like references to international HTA agencies’ experiences and government as demandant, potentially influencing CONITEC’s decisions. Cluster and XGBoost analyses emphasized that approved evaluations mainly concerned drug assessments, often government-initiated, while non-approved ones frequently evaluated drugs, with the industry as the requester.

Conclusions

NLP model can predict health technology incorporation outcomes, opening avenues for future research using HTA reports from other agencies. This model has the potential to enhance HTA system efficiency by offering initial insights and decision-making criteria, thereby benefiting healthcare experts.
Differences in gross motor and fine motor outcomes for toddlers after early complex cardiac surgery
Authors: Robertson Charlene M.T. , Khademioureh Sara , Dinu Irina A. , Sorenson Julie A. , Joffe Ari R. ,   for the Complex Pediatric Therapies Follow-up Program
Published: April 2024

Objectives:

To determine whether gross motor scores of toddlers after complex cardiac surgery were different from fine motor scores and were adequately represented by motor composite scores and, whether acute care predictors and chronic childhood health markers of gross motor scores differed from those of fine motor.

Methods:

This prospective inception-cohort outcomes study included 171 toddlers after complex cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass at age <6 months, born in Northern Alberta from 2009 to 2019, and without known chromosomal abnormalities. At a mean (standard deviation) age of 21.7 (3.7) months, the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development-III determined motor composite and scaled scores (normative values, 100 (15), 10 (3), respectively). The same variables from surgery and assessment were analysed using multivariate regression to predict gross and fine motor scores; results expressed as effect size (95% confidence interval) with % variance.

Results:

Composite, fine, and gross motor scores were 89.7 (14.2), 9.4 (2.5), and 7.2 (2.7), respectively. Predictive variables accounted for 21.2% of the variance for fine motor, and 36.9% for gross motor. Multivariate analysis for gross motor scores included toddlers need for cardiac medication, effect size (95% confidence interval) −0.801 (−1.62, −0.02), gastrostomy, −1.35 (−2.39, −0.319), and single ventricle, −0.93 (−1.71, −0.15). These same variables did not predict fine motor scores.

Conclusion:

Gross motor skills commonly were lower than fine motor skills for toddlers after complex cardiac surgery. Predictors for gross motor scores differed from fine motor scores. Separate reporting of gross motor scores could lead to improved identification of predictors of delay and to optimised early intervention.
Pulmonary embolism from right ventricular myxoma in a child with undiagnosed Carney complex
Authors: Atkins Christopher A. , Cashen Katherine , Jackson Kimberly , Beckerman Ziv , Sherwin Jennifer I.
Published: April 2024

Pediatric pulmonary embolism occurs in 8.6−57 per 100,000 hospitalised children. We report a novel case of bilateral pulmonary emboli in a child presenting with dyspnoea who was found to have large right ventricular myxoma and subsequent diagnosis of Carney complex. After resection of the right ventricular myxoma and bilateral pulmonary embolectomy, she had a full recovery and an excellent outcome.
Internal thoracic artery as a growing conduit for pulmonary shunt
Authors: Nishino Takako , Ando Makoto , Yokoyama Shinya
Published: April 2024

Studies suggest the internal thoracic artery as a shunt option due to its growth potential. However, long-term data are lacking. Here, a patient with a failing single ventricle shunt had an enlarged internal thoracic artery. We followed the patient for 12 years after converting this artery into a Blalock–Taussig shunt, analysing its growth to assess its effectiveness
Influence of cover crop residue and residual herbicide on emergence dynamics of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) in grain sorghum
Authors: Dhanda Sachin , Kumar Vipan , Dille J. Anita , Obour Augustine , Yeager Elizabeth A. , Holman Johnathan
Published: April 2024

A field study was conducted from 2020 to 2023 at Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center near Hays, KS, to understand the emergence dynamics and periodicity of glyphosate-resistant (GR) Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) as influenced by cover crop (CC) residue and residual herbicide in grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. The study site was under a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–sorghum–fallow rotation with a natural seedbank of GR A. palmeri. Treatments included (1) fall-planted CC mixture [winter triticale (×Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus [Secale × Triticum])/winter peas (Pisum sativum L.)/rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)/radish (Raphanus sativus L.)] after wheat harvest and terminated at triticale heading stage (next spring before sorghum planting) with glyphosate alone or (2) glyphosate plus acetochlor/atrazine, (3) chemical fallow (no CC but treated with acetochlor/atrazine and dicamba before sorghum planting), and (4) nontreated control (no CC and no herbicide). Results indicated that CC terminated with glyphosate plus acetochlor/atrazine had a delayed and reduced cumulative emergence of GR A. palmeri as compared with chemical fallow and CC terminated with glyphosate alone across all 3 yr. Compared with chemical fallow, the CC terminated with glyphosate alone and glyphosate plus acetochlor/atrazine required 66 to 643 and 105 to 1,257 more cumulative growing degree days, respectively, to achieve 90% cumulative emergence of GR A. palmeri across all 3 yr. The combined effect of CC residue with glyphosate plus acetochlor/atrazine reduced the total emergence counts of GR A. palmeri by 42% to 56% and 82% to 94% as compared with chemical fallow and nontreated control, respectively. These results suggest that fall-planted CC combined with a residual herbicide at termination can be utilized for GR A. palmeri suppression in grain sorghum.
Virtual Hydrological Laboratories: Developing the Next Generation of Conceptual Models to Support Decision Making Under Change
Authors: Thyer Mark , Gupta Hoshin , Westra Seth , McInerney David , Maier Holger R. , Kavetski Dmitri , Jakeman Anthony , Croke Barry , Simmons Craig , Partington Daniel , Shanafield Margaret , Tague Christina
Published: April 2024

As hydrological systems are pushed outside the envelope of historical experience, the ability of current hydrological models to serve as a basis for credible prediction and decision making is increasingly challenged. Conceptual models are the most common type of surface water hydrological model used for decision support due to reasonable performance in the absence of change, ease of use and computational speed that facilitate scenario, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. Hence, conceptual models in effect represent the current “shopfront” of hydrological science as seen by practitioners. However, these models have notable limitations in their ability to resolve internal catchment processes and subsequently capture hydrological change. New thinking is needed to confront the challenges faced by the current generation of conceptual models in dealing with a changing environment. We argue the next generation of conceptual models should combine the parsimony of conceptual models with our best available scientific understanding. We propose a strategy to develop such models using multiple hydrological lines of evidence. This strategy includes using appropriately selected physically resolved models as “Virtual Hydrological Laboratories” to test and refine the simpler models' ability to predict future hydrological changes. This approach moves beyond the sole focus on “predictive skill” measured using metrics of historical performance, facilitating the development of the next generation of conceptual models with hydrological fidelity (i.e., models that “get the right answers for the right reasons”). This quest is more than a scientific curiosity; it is expected by policy makers who need to know what to plan for.
The Role of Parameterizations and Model Coupling on Simulations of Energy and Water Balances – Investigations With the Atmospheric Model WRF and the Hydrologic Model WRF‐Hydro
Authors: Sofokleous I. , Bruggeman A. , Camera C.
Published: April 2024

The distributed hydrologic model WRF‐Hydro can operate in a fully‐coupled mode with the atmospheric Weather, Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. WRF‐Hydro enhances the modeling of terrestrial hydrologic processes in coupled WRF/WRF‐Hydro by simulating lateral surface and subsurface water flows. The objectives of this study are (a) to examine the effect of WRF‐Hydro on the surface energy and water balance in fully‐coupled WRF/WRF‐Hydro simulations and (b) to examine the impact of five WRF physics parameterizations on WRF‐Hydro streamflow. The study area is the Mediterranean island of Cyprus and 31 mountainous watersheds. The domain‐average soil moisture was 20% higher in the coupled WRF/WRF‐Hydro, relative to the standalone WRF model, during a 1‐year simulation. The higher soil moisture could explain the increase in latent heat (36%) and evapotranspiration (33%). The increase in these fluxes was less with a modification in the model transpiration parameterization to represent nocturnal transpiration and the use of remote sensing leaf area index data. The simulated precipitation of the coupled model increased up to 3%, relative to WRF. Two‐year long WRF‐Hydro simulations gave a median Nash‐Sutcliffe Efficiency for daily streamflow of the 31 watersheds of 0.5 for observed precipitation forcing and between −1.9 and 0.2 for the forcing of the five WRF parameterizations. This study showed that the enhancement of the standalone WRF model with lateral water flow processes in the coupled mode with WRF‐Hydro modifies the terrestrial energy and water balance. The improved terrestrial process representation should be considered for future hydrological cycle studies with WRF.
Explicit Habit‐Prediction in the Lagrangian Super‐Particle Ice Microphysics Model McSnow
Authors: Welss Jan‐Niklas , Siewert C. , Seifert A.
Published: April 2024

The Monte‐Carlo ice microphysics model McSnow is extended by an explicit habit prediction scheme, combined with the hydrodynamic theory of Böhm. Böhm's original cylindrical shape assumption for prolates is compared against recent lab results, showing that interpolation between cylinder and prolate yields the best agreement. For constant temperature and supersaturation, the predicted mass, size, and density of the ice crystals agree well with the laboratory results, and a comparison with real clouds using the polarizability ratio shows regimes capable of improvement. An updated form of the inherent growth function to describe the primary habit growth tendencies is proposed and combined with a habit‐dependent ventilation coefficient. The modifications contrast the results from general mass size relations and significantly impact the main ice microphysical processes. Depending on the thermodynamic regime, ice habits significantly alter depositional growth and affect aggregation and riming. The influence of primary ice behavior on precipitation formation needs to be considered in future development of microphysical parameterizations, but the consideration of secondary habits and the geometry of aggregates should be further improved in future work.
Insights Into Changing Interglacial Conditions in Subarctic Canada From MIS 11 Through MIS 5e From Seasonally Resolved Speleothem Records
Authors: Batchelor Cameron J. , McGee David , Shakun Jeremy D. , Woodhead Jon , Jost Adam B. , Arnold Sarah , Horne Greg , Kinsley Christopher W. , Freudenburg‐Puricelli Markey
Published: April 2024

High‐resolution records from past interglacial climates help constrain future responses to global warming, yet are rare. Here, we produce seasonally resolved climate records from subarctic‐Canada using micron‐scale measurements of oxygen isotopes (δ18O) in speleothems with apparent annual growth bands from three interglacial periods—Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 11, 9, and 5e. We find 3‰ lower δ18O values during MIS 11 than MIS 5e, despite MIS 11 likely being warmer. We explore controls on high‐latitude speleothem δ18O and suggest low MIS 11 δ18O values reflect greater contribution of cold‐season precipitation to dripwater from longer annual ground thaw durations. Other potential influences include changes in precipitation source and/or increased fraction of cold‐season precipitation from diminished sea ice in MIS 11. Our study highlights the potential for high‐latitude speleothems to yield detailed isotopic records of Northern Hemisphere interglacial climates beyond the reach of Greenland ice cores and offers a framework for interpreting them.