bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advancements in management of major fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in North Africa and future challenges: A review
Authors: Boulahia‐Kheder Synda
Published: October 2021

Fruit flies are one of the most economically damaging pests of fleshy fruits worldwide. Two species of highest concern for fruit production in North Africa are the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) and the peach fruit fly (PFF) Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (in Egypt and Libya only). Currently, both fruit fly species are mainly targeted by chemical applications of broad‐spectrum contact insecticides. Despite the disparities in control efforts among North African countries, government and research are focused on reducing chemical reliance and adopt more environmentally friendly technologies. In this review, advances in integrated pest management (IPM) implementation against fruit flies are outlined for each country. In addition, challenges for future efforts are identified with emphasis on the efficacy of trapping for monitoring and control.
A pilot study to evaluate feasibility and acceptability of training mental health workers in India to select case‐specific intervention procedures within a dynamic modular treatment designed for a low‐resource setting
Authors: Knudsen Kendra S. , Becker Kimberly D. , Guan Karen , Gellatly Resham , Patel Vikram H. , Malik Kanika , Boustani Maya M. , Mathur Sonal , Chorpita Bruce F.
Published: October 2021

Rationale, aims and objectives

A key consideration in designing scalable solutions for improving global mental health involves balancing the need for interventions to be uncomplicated for mental health workers (MHWs) and the need for the intervention to be widely applicable to many clients. Often these needs are in competition, since interventions are routinely simplified by removing procedures or reducing their dynamic responsivity, which in turn lowers their overall utility in serving large, clinically diverse populations. The principal aim of this pilot study involved evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of a brief strategy designed to delegate problem classification and practice selection to MHWs operating within a flexible, modular, cognitive behavioural protocol. A secondary aim involved gathering data on which to base a hypothesis regarding the potential effectiveness of this strategy.

Method

Within an open trial, an educationally diverse sample of local MHWs in India (N = 18) reviewed fictional case vignettes, classified mental health problems, and then selected practices before and after a two‐hour training that included a one‐page decision‐making resource. Feasibility was measured by assessing the integrity of the study protocol and training, the measurement and administration of questionnaires as well as study recruitment and completion. Acceptability of the intervention was measured by MHW‐perceived performance, ease of use, value, importance, and intention for continued use. Decision‐making accuracy was assessed by comparing MHWs' clinical decisions with criteria established through consensus among psychologists with expertise in modular protocols.

Results

Results suggested high feasibility and acceptability on all metrics. Secondary analysis revealed that MHW's decision‐making accuracy and confidence also significantly improved, providing a basis for the hypothesis that this brief approach is useful for building MHW capacity in low‐resource settings.

Conclusion

Overall these findings provide initial support for these methods and potential training outcomes to test within a larger, randomized controlled trial.
Establishment and characterization of a liver cell line, ALL, derived from yellowfin sea bream, Acanthopagrus latus, and its application to fish virology
Authors: Li Yong , jia Peng , Yu Fangzhao , Li Wangdong , Mao Can , Yi Meisheng , Gu Qunhong , Jia Kuntong
Published: October 2021

Yellowfin sea bream (Acanthopagrus latus) is an important economic fish, which is seriously threatened by various fish viruses. In this study, a cell line designated as ALL derived from the liver of yellowfin sea bream was developed and characterized. The cell line grew well in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10%–20% foetal bovine serum at 28°C. Amplification of the cytochrome B gene indicated that ALL cells originated from yellowfin sea bream. The modal chromosome number of ALL cells was 48. ALL cells were efficiently transfected with pEGFP‐N3 plasmids, indicating the potential application of ALL cells in exogenous gene manipulation studies. ALL cells were susceptive to three main fish viruses, including viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), red‐spotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) and largemouth bass virus (LMBV). The replication of VHSV, RGNNV and LMBV in ALL cells was confirmed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, virus titre and transmission electron microscopy assays. Moreover, ALL cells could respond to VHSV, RGNNV and LMBV infections, as indicated by the differential expression of antiviral genes involving in the innate immune response. In conclusion, the newly established ALL cell line will be an excellent in vitro platform for the study of the virus–yellowfin sea bream interaction.
Prevalence and molecular characterization of multidrug‐resistant Escherichia coliO157: H7 from dairy milk in the Peshawar region of Pakistan
Authors: Ahmad Irshad , Khattak Sonia , Ali Roshan , Nawaz Nighat , Ullah Kalim , Khan Sher Bahadar , Ali Mumtaz , Patching Simon G. , Mustafa Mohammad Zahid
Published: October 2021

This study analyzed raw (unpasteurized) dairy milk samples from farms, milk vendors, and shops in the Peshawar region of Pakistan for the prevalence of pathogenic multidrug‐resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli. During August 2018–September 2019, 100 cow′s milk samples from 10 subregions of the Town‐3 district were tested for the prevalence of E. coli and of Shiga toxin–producing serotype O157: H7 using various biochemical, morphological, and molecular tests. MDR was tested using the disc diffusion method, while Shiga toxin and antibiotic resistance genes were identified by polymerase chain reaction. Twenty eight samples contained E. coli, of which six were positive for O157: H7. The O157: H7 isolates had resistances of 16.7% to amoxicillin–clavulanic acid, 66.7% to ampicillin, 66.7% to ceftriaxone, 50.0% to kanamycin, 83.3% to streptomycin, 83.3% to trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole, and 83.3% to vancomycin. All O157: H7 isolates contained the blaCTXM resistance gene, three of which also contained the blaTEM1 and blaNDM1 resistance genes, and were resistant to six or seven out of the seven antibiotics tested in a disc diffusion assay with 10 μg or 30 μg of antibiotic. Our observations are of high concern to public health in Pakistan, so appropriate measures should be implemented to minimize E. coli O157: H7 cross‐contamination and infection, including screening for E. coli O157: H7 in foods, equipment, and storage vessels; testing of isolates for antibiotic resistance; implementation of rigorous hygiene protocols in milk production and storage; training of farmers and milk production workers; and education of the public about hygiene and food practices.
Interventions to promote dementia knowledge among racial/ethnic minority groups: A systematic review
Authors: Huggins Lenique K. L. , Min Se Hee , Dennis Chelsea‐Ann , Østbye Truls , Johnson Kimberly S. , Xu Hanzhang
Published: October 2021

Background

Certain racial/ethnic minority groups have a higher risk of developing dementia, yet studies have demonstrated that they often have limited knowledge and understanding of this disease. An increasing number of educational and advocacy programs have been developed to promote dementia knowledge. We aimed at assessing current evidence and quality regarding educational interventions for promoting dementia knowledge.

Methods

We searched for intervention studies published in English that focused on educational interventions for promoting dementia knowledge among racial/ethnic minority groups. We identified 25 relevant studies through PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus, using tailored search terms. We screened titles and abstracts, reviewed full texts, synthesized relevant evidence, and evaluated the studies' quality based on the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Relevant intervention studies took place in communities, hospitals or clinics, and schools, and online.

Results

Most studies were conducted in the United States (n = 21), followed by the UK (n = 3). Over half of the studies included Asian/Pacific Islander groups (n = 14), followed by Black groups (n = 12) and Hispanic groups (n = 11). The intervention delivery mode varied across studies—from workshops hosted in a faith community to talk shows on YouTube. Target populations included middle‐aged and older adults, caregivers and family members, health students and professionals, and elementary school students. Common content included symptoms and signs of dementia, protective and risk factors, and local resources. The assessment of study outcomes varied across studies. Improvement in dementia knowledge and attitudes towards dementia was reported in many studies. Among the included studies, intervention satisfaction was high. The overall quality of the interventions was low.

Conclusion

Formally evaluated educational interventions promoting dementia knowledge are at an early stage. Existing published interventions showed adequate acceptability and promise in promoting better understanding and awareness of dementia in minority groups. More well‐designed randomized controlled trials are needed.
A case of verruciform xanthoma of the vulva with generalized verrucous nevus on extremities
Authors: Xia Jiali , Jiang Guan
Published: October 2021

Background

Verruciform xanthoma is a rare benign proliferative lesion of the skin and mucosa which mainly affects oral mucosa. Cases of verruciform xanthomas occurring outside the oral mucosa are rare. Verrucous nevus, also called epidermal nevus, is a cutaneous hamartoma caused by abnormal proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes.

Aim

Here, we reported a 39‐year‐old woman diagnosed verruciform xanthoma of the vulva with generalized verrucous nevus on extremities.

Patient

A 39‐year‐old woman presented to the dermatology department. The vulva cauliflower tumor was accompanied by verrucous tumor of limbs for 33 years. The skin lesions showed cauliflower like growth in the size of fist in the perineum, and the Yellow verrucous vegetations of limbs were arranged in strips. Results The pathological diagnosis confirmed that the vulva verrucous xanthoma was combined with generalized verrucous nevus of limbs. No clinically relevant genes with pathogenic variants were detected by high‐throughput sequencing technology and whole exome sequencing of genetic diseases.

Results

The pathological diagnosis confirmed that the vulva verrucous xanthoma was combined with generalized verrucous nevus of limbs. No clinically relevant genes with pathogenic variants were detected by high‐throughput sequencing technology and whole exome sequencing of genetic diseases.

Conclusion

The case was confirmed to be verruciform xanthoma, a benign proliferative xanthoma‐like lesion with high incidence on the oral cavity. Combinded with generalized verrucous nevus,which is caused by excessive development of the epidermis, resulting in localized epidermal developmental abnormalities. Vulvar and peripheral lesions were treated through surgical approach. Lesions on the extremities were treated through oral administration of Acitretin capsules after obtaining informed consent from the patient. After a 3‐month follow‐up, the skin lesions on the hands and feet had partially disappeared. However, the outcome needs further follow‐up and examination.
Proactive risk assessment of intrahospital transport of critically ill patients from emergency department to intensive care unit in a teaching hospital and its implications
Authors: Zhang Weiying , Lv Jianhong , Zhao Jin , Ma Xiaoyan , Li Xueyan , Gu Hongming , Zhang Meiying , Zhou Runv
Published: October 2021

Aims and objectives

To explore the effects of the health failure mode and effect analysis (HFMEA) used in intrahospital transport (IHT) of critically ill patients from emergency department (ED) to the intensive care unit (ICU).

Background

Patients who were transported from ED to ICU is highly critical. IHT of these patients is potentially risky, which may associate with adverse events (AEs). The concern of safe IHT can be addressed by performing proactive risk assessments using HFMEA and implementing the findings after the ED of our hospital being reconstructed.

Design

A qualitative action research study combined with a quantitative cross‐sectional method.

Methods

According to the HFMEA method, the failure modes of IHT were identified and analysed, and the effect of alterations was verified. We built a project team, drawn up a IHT flow chart, defined steps of IHT, classified the failure modes, calculated risk priority number and analysed by the decision tree, then formulated an action plan and verified the effects of the alterations. Incidence of AEs of transport was compared before and after HFMEA.SQUIRE 2.0 checklist was chosen on reporting the study process.

Results

The HFMEA outlined a total of 5 major steps and 16 sub‐steps in the IHT process. From this, 64 potential failure modes were identified, with 17 modes having a RPN score higher than 8. Determined by the decision tree, there were 20 priority control failure modes, of which 16 involved 8 IHT alterations. Notable work‐flow alterations included use of a three‐stage hierarchical transport strategy based on patients’ condition assisted by the intelligent assessment system. Incidence of AEs was significantly decreased from 19.64% to 7.14% after the implementation of HFMEA (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Application of the HFMEA in optimising IHT process can improve the safety of transportation, which is worthy of promotion. Hierarchical transport scheme can reduce the incidence of AEs in IHT of critical emergency patients, which mainly includes the integration and construction of the transport team, equipment configuration and patient information system based on the classification of patients’ condition.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nurses play a crucial role in the IHT process. HFMEA can be adopted for proactive risk assessment of critically ill patients’ IHT from ED to ICU which involves multiple processes. The IHT hierarchical strategy based on the results of failure mode analysis should be more widely used to further verify its clinical effects.
THE AESTHETIC LIFE OF RELIGION AND ETHICS ON LONG STREET, CAPE TOWN
Authors: Alhourani Ala Rabiha
Published: October 2021

This ethnography explores the aesthetic dimension of religion and the sensational ways in which it contributes to shaping ordinary ethics on Long Street in Cape Town, South Africa. In the context of everyday social life on Long Street, homeless peoples’ claim of an ethical character is denied recognition. Long Street is a public space of conviviality and differences, a hybrid social reality marked with growing urbanization, globalization, and neoliberalism, and overseen by a continuous presence of security units. It is a street saturated with ever‐increasing social problems resulting from a revival of class differences. Ordinary ethics on Long Street is complex, unpredictable, dynamic, and vulnerable, and stands the risk of potential breakdown. Against this backdrop, this ethnography recounts the ways in which aesthetic formations of religion stimulate technologies of imaginations that offer homeless people sensory experiences of refuge, recognition, being, and belonging amidst social exclusion and a harsh lived experience. Aesthetics of religion are ethics made visible in public life.
NEW DIRECTIONS IN THEORIZING MORAL INJURY AND JUST WAR
Authors: Dunn Shannon
Published: October 2021

This collection of essays examines the relationship between moral injury and just war theory. The included essays attempt to broaden the ethical subject of moral injury, while also seeking greater conceptual clarity about the nature of moral harm that occurs in the contexts of both warfare and the afterwar.
THE CRITICAL POWER OF AN EXPANDED CONCEPT OF MORAL INJURY
Authors: Kellison Rosemary
Published: October 2021

Contemporary analyses of moral injury in war focus on its occurrence in American veterans who commit or witness acts contrary to their deeply held moral beliefs. Moral injuries suffered by noncombatants are largely absent from this discourse. I advocate for greater inclusion of the victim‐centered perspective in studies of moral injury in war. This perspective conceptualizes moral injury as the specific harm suffered when one's moral humanity is not recognized. Given that susceptibility to moral injury is part of moral personhood, failure to acknowledge noncombatants' moral injury represents failure to recognize their full and particular personhood and thus may inflict further moral injury. Centering noncombatants' moral injury strengthens the critical power of moral injury, enabling the identification of specific steps toward establishing just relationships and social trust to repair and prevent moral injury in noncombatants and combatants alike.
MORAL INJURY AND TRAGIC SENSIBILITY
Authors: Dunn Shannon
Published: October 2021

Since Jonathan Shay's work with Vietnam veterans, moral injury has largely focused on the harm done to soldiers' moral character through their participation in warfare. This essay argues for the inclusion of noncombatants in the scope of inquiry involving moral injury. Specifically, it argues for the necessity of ordinary citizens assuming responsibility for the moral injury done to soldiers and civilians alike in the post‐9/11 wars.
REAL LOVE
Authors: Bowen Amber
Published: October 2021

While Kierkegaard creates characters who represent various ways of existing as lovers in the aesthetic and the ethical spheres, namely, Johannes the Seducer and Judge William, he does not have a corresponding character for love in the religious sphere. Is there truly only marginal space for romantic love in Kierkegaard’s religious sphere, or did his own personal history prevent him from being able to imagine what that might look like? This paper examines a commonly overlooked discourse, “On the Occasion of a Wedding,” for Kierkegaardian insights on erotic love in the religious sphere. Against understanding erotic love as a moment (in the aesthetic sphere), or a duty (in the ethical sphere), this paper explores how “On the Occasion of a Wedding” recasts erotic love as gift. Kierkegaard stages the “imagined occasion” of a wedding as a phenomenological reduction through which love presents itself with gift‐like characteristics. Respecting the gift‐status of love transforms the lover into a grateful recipient rather than a seducer or a conqueror. This paper concludes that the proper response to love as gift would be neither to refuse it in favor of nihilistic uncertainty nor to possess it through triumphalistic objectivity, but to humbly embrace both its “already” and its “not yet” dimensions.
THE WAR CAME ALIVE INSIDE OF THEM
Authors: Temoney Kate E.
Published: October 2021

Increasingly, scholarship on moral injury is expanding to include non‐military personnel, and considers a violation of bodily integrity—for example, of civilian women who are targeted for sexual violence in warfare—as a particularly egregious harm. Moral injury discourse also extends beyond the individual to the social context in which moral injury arises, its relational effects, and its utterly devastating impact on personhood, an impact frequently characterized as a “soul wound.” The intersection of genocidal rape—both as an individual and a group harm—with religion, as facilitating moral injury and restorative “soul repair,” exemplifies these trends. Although moral injury research rarely addresses the detrimental influences of religion or references the “soul” with precision, the discourse of moral injury does provide an opportunity for exploring the relationship between personhood and agency from the perspectives of those who inflict and are subjected to harm.
Neuronal current imaging: An experimental method to investigate electrical currents in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy
Authors: Unger Daniela M. , Wiest Roland , Kiefer Claus , Raillard Mathieu , Dutil Guillaume F. , Stein Veronika M. , Schweizer Daniela
Published: October 2021

Background

The diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy (IE) in dogs is based on exclusion of other potential causes of seizures. Recently, a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence that utilizes a variant of the rotary saturation approach has been suggested to detect weak transient magnetic field oscillations generated by neuronal currents in humans with epilepsy.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Effects on the magnetic field evoked by intrinsic epileptic activity can be detected by MRI in the canine brain. As proof‐of‐concept, the novel MRI sequence to detect neuronal currents was applied in dogs.

Animals

Twelve dogs with IE and 5 control dogs without a history of epileptic seizures were examined.

Methods

Prospective case‐control study as proof‐of‐concept. All dogs underwent a clinical neurological examination, scalp electroencephalography, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and MRI. The MRI examination included a spin‐locking (SL) experiment applying a low‐power on‐resonance radiofrequency pulse in a predefined frequency domain in the range of oscillations generated by the epileptogenic tissue.

Results

In 11 of 12 dogs with IE, rotary saturation effects were detected by the MRI sequence. Four of 5 control dogs did not show rotary saturation effects. One control dog with a diagnosis of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis had SL‐related effects, but did not have epileptic seizures clinically.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The proposed MRI method detected neuronal currents in dogs with epileptic seizures and represents a potential new line of research to investigate neuronal currents possibly related to IE in dogs.
Effects of cryopreservation on redox status and gene expression of trochophore larvae in Mytilus galloprovincialis
Authors: Liu Yibing , Catalano Sarah R. , Qin Jianguang , Han Jiabo , Zhan Xin , Li Xiaoxu
Published: October 2021

The relative mortality rate of trochophore larvae exposed to cryopreservation is significantly higher at early larval developmental stages in blue mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis. However, little is known about cryodamage on the larval quality at cellular and molecular modifications in aquatic species, including M. galloprovincialis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of established cryopreservation technique on reactive oxygen species (ROS), total antioxidant capacity, apoptotic and antioxidant enzyme related gene expressions of trochophore larvae in M. galloprovincialis. The results showed that significantly lower D‐larvae rate was produced from the cryopreserved trochophore larvae compared to fresh (p <.05). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the ROS production, total antioxidant capacity, and small molecular antioxidant capacity between fresh and cryopreserved trochophore larvae (p >.05). Similarly, the cryopreservation procedures had no adverse effects on the apoptotic and antioxidant enzyme related gene expression patterns between fresh and cryopreserved trochophore larvae (p >.05). These results indicate that the cryopreservation technique applied to M. galloprovincialis larvae in this study may not compromise the redox status of the post‐thaw trochophore larvae.
An assessment of current wolfCanis lupusdomestication hypotheses based on wolf ecology and behaviour
Authors: Mech L. David , Janssens Luc A. A.
Published: October 2021

The dog was the first domesticated animal. Its derivation from grey wolvesCanis lupusis important to the study of mammalian domestication, and wolf domestication is an active area of investigation. Recent popular books have promoted a hypothesis that wolves domesticated themselves as opposed to the earliest hypothesis that featured pup collection, adoption, and artificial selection. Continuing research has produced a greater understanding of wolf ecology and behaviour, including new insights into the wolf’s interaction with humans. Several characteristics make the wolf conducive to domestication: its sociality, catholic diet, excellent individual and cultural memory, inbreeding tolerance, varied personalities, and adaptable lifestyle. The wolf’s fear of humans is the main impediment and that alone is a factor strongly disfavouring the self‐selection hypothesis. However, collecting young pups from dens and raising them would foster their socialising with humans as pack members. Neither hypothesis explains how wolves undergoing domestication were separated reproductively from their wild relatives, an important condition for domestication. We combine information from the literature with information from our own research on wild wolves, archaeology, and canid morphology. We explain how pup collection and deliberate or incidental selection and encouragement to breed with similarly raised wolves could keep incipient dogs separated reproductively from wild relatives. The key is humans regularly feeding the wolves and keeping only those able to live harmoniously with humans. Well‐fed, human‐dependent wolves would remain near their food supply and in the company of humans, thus increasing their bonds to humans andvice versa. Outbreeding with wild wolves would thus be avoided. Generation after generation of these human‐fed, raised, and selected wolves would become increasingly dependent on humans and shaped by them. The pup‐adoption hypothesis presented here is more in keeping with basic wolf ecology and behaviour than the self‐domestication hypothesis.
A two‐stage recursive ray tracing algorithm to automatically identify external building objects in building information models
Authors: Ying Huaquan , Zhou Hui , Degani Amir , Sacks Rafael
Published: October 2021

The internal or external attribute of building information modeling (BIM) objects is vital information for many BIM‐based engineering analyses such as building energy analysis and cost estimation. Unfortunately, such information is often inaccurate, incomplete, or missing entirely in most BIM models. Manually checking, correcting, or inputting this data for large‐scale BIM models can be time‐consuming, laborious, and error‐prone. This study proposes a two‐stage ray tracing algorithm to automatically identify external BIM objects, based on the idea that external objects of a building can be viewed from somewhere outside the building. The first‐stage ray tracing samples viewpoints from the six faces of an offset axis‐aligned bounding box (AABB) of the building and emits a ray for each viewpoint to detect relevant external objects. The second‐stage ray tracing recursively searches for any remaining external objects from the view of the external objects that have been detected in the previous round of ray tracing. Both stages are carefully designed for efficiency. Furthermore, a two‐tier AABB tree is introduced to spatially index building objects on both model and object levels to accelerate relevant geometry operations. The proposed algorithm is validated with one synthetic and two large‐scale real‐world building models. The results show that all the external objects in the three models are accurately and efficiently identified, and the two‐tier spatial indexing and other acceleration techniques improve the algorithm's efficiency significantly.
Novel factors contributing to fungal pathogenicity at early stages of Setosphaeria turcica infection
Authors: Meng Yanan , Zeng Fanli , Hu Jingjing , Li Pan , Xiao Shenglin , Zhou Lihong , Gong Jiangang , Liu Yuwei , Hao Zhimin , Cao Zhiyan , Dong Jingao
Published: October 2021

The fungal pathogen Setosphaeria turcica causes leaf blight on maize, which leads to considerable crop losses. However, how S. turcica establishes sustained systemic infection is largely unknown. Here, we report several novel factors contributing to S. turcica pathogenicity, identified using a genomic and transcriptional screen at different stages of S. turcica appressorium development. We identified two cytoskeleton regulators, SLM1 and SLM2, that are crucial for hypha and appressorium development. The SLM1 and SLM2 transcripts accumulated during germling stage but their levels were notably reduced at the appressorium stage. Deletion of SLM2 dramatically affected cell morphology, penetration ability, and pathogenicity. We also identified three different types of S. turcica glycosyl hydrolases that are critical for plant cell wall degradation. Their transcripts accumulated during the appressorium infection stage induced by cellophane and maize leaf. Most importantly, we characterized a novel and specific S. turcica effector, appressorium‐coupled effector 1 (StACE1), whose expression is coupled to appressorium formation in S. turcica. This protein is required for maize infection and induces cell death on expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. These observations suggest that the phytopathogen S. turcica is primed in advance with multiple strategies for maize infection, which are coupled to appressorium formation at the early infection stages.
Expression of putative effectors of different Xylella fastidiosa strains triggers cell death‐like responses in various Nicotiana model plants
Authors: Sertedakis Matthaios , Kotsaridis Konstantinos , Tsakiri Dimitra , Mermigka Glykeria , Dominguez‐Ferreras Ana , Ntoukakis Vardis , Sarris Panagiotis F.
Published: October 2021

The wide host range of Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) indicates the existence of yet uncharacterized virulence mechanisms that help pathogens to overcome host defences. Various bioinformatics tools combined with prediction of the functions of putative virulence proteins are valuable approaches to study microbial pathogenicity. We collected a number of putative effectors from three Xf strains belonging to different subspecies: Temecula‐1 (subsp. fastidiosa), CoDiRO (subsp. pauca), and Ann‐1 (subsp. sandyi). We designed an in planta Agrobacterium‐based expression system that drives the expressed proteins to the cell apoplast, in order to investigate their ability to activate defence in Nicotiana model plants. Multiple Xf proteins differentially elicited cell death‐like phenotypes in different Nicotiana species. These proteins are members of different enzymatic groups: (a) hydrolases/hydrolase inhibitors, (b) serine proteases, and (c) metal transferases. We also classified the Xf proteins according to their sequential and structural similarities via the I‐TASSER online tool. Interestingly, we identified similar proteins that were able to differentially elicit cell death in different cultivars of the same species. Our findings provide a basis for further studies on the mechanisms that underlie both defence activation in Xf resistant hosts and pathogen adaptation in susceptible hosts.
Allium shinasii (Amaryllidaceae), a new species from Turkey
Authors: Armağan Metin
Published: October 2021

Allium shinasii (Amaryllidaceae) is described here as a new species. Diagnostic morphological characters, a full description, and detailed illustrations are given herein. Allium shinasii is known from Tunceli province in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. According to its morphological features, it belongs to Allium sect. Codonoprasum. It is related to A. kurtzianum that belongs to the same section, A. sieheanum and A. sivasicum that belong to A. sect. Scorodon. However, it is easily distinguished from these species mainly by tepals, leaves and spathe characters.
Rethinking dementia as a queer way of life and as ‘crip possibility’: A critique of the concept of person in person‐centredness
Authors: Foth Thomas , Leibing Annette
Published: October 2021

The concept of person‐centeredness has become in many instances the standard of health care that humanises services and ensures that the patient/client is at the centre of care delivery. Rejecting a purely biomedical explanation of dementia that led to a loss of self, personhood in dementia could be maintained through social interaction and communication. In this article, we use the insights of queer theory to contribute to our current understanding of the care of those with dementia. We critically discuss the concepts of person and personhood that have become the cornerstone values of person‐centred care for persons with dementia (PWD). Some critics, using queer theory as a theoretical approach, contend that person‐centred care often (unwittingly) reproduces heteronormative roles in trying to sustain life histories. In doing so, they argue, regendering of PWD is sometimes enforced by care providers who try to safeguard this biographical continuity. Cultural theorist Linn Sandberg also mentions that other axes of domination such as race and class are not conceptualised in person‐centeredness approaches, and neither are power asymmetries. Thus, in our article, we revisit the concept of person‐centred care as a first step in proposing another way to think about ‘beings with dementia’ (to avoid the term person). Believing that queer theorists have fallen short in questioning the idea of person or personhood as such, we will build on and broaden Sandberg's critique by demonstrating that queer and crip theory can be understood as a fundamental critique of the (Western) subject and processes of subjectivation. We argue that dementia can be conceptualised as a radical break not only with gendered roles and embodiments, but with many of the norms that make us recognisable subjects. Conceptualising dementia in this way turns it into what Sandberg called an ‘emancipatory space’ and not merely a pathology
Minimal detectable change of the disc‐fovea angle for ocular torsion assessment
Authors: Piedrahita‐Alonso Elena , Valverde‐Megias Alicia , Martin‐Garcia Beatriz , Hernandez‐Garcia Elena , Gomez‐de‐Liano Rosario
Published: October 2021

Purpose

The disc‐fovea angle (DFA) is used as a relevant indicator of ocular torsion change in cyclovertical strabismus. However, interpretation of the variation in time must differentiate whether a real change has occurred or if the disparity is due to random measurement error. The aim of the study was to obtain the minimal detectable change (MDC) of the DFA. It represents the minimal variation between two measurements that may be considered a real ocular torsion change.

Methods

A prospective cross‐sectional study was conducted in San Carlos Clinical Hospital of Madrid, Spain. Sixty healthy right eyes from 60 patients (31 men and 29 women) were recruited. Three digital fundus photographs were obtained, and between measurements, the patient moved their head away from the head support and then returned. Two observers quantified the DFA with software designed with MATLAB. Test‐retest and interrater reliability were calculated.

Results

Mean participant age was 56.1 years (SD 16.6, range 25–85). Mean DFA was 8.1° (SD 3.5, range 1.3–18.5). Test‐retest reliability for Observer 1 (Ob1), Observer 2 (Ob2) and interrater reliability were excellent (ICC 0.80, 0.83 and 0.95, respectively). Precision was 2.9° (Ob1) and 3.0° (Ob2), and the MDC95 was 4.1° (Ob1) and 4.2° (Ob2). Bland‐Altman analysis revealed an absence of bias and a homoscedastic distribution of the differences.

Conclusions

The MDC of the DFA in fundus photography was 4°, which represents the minimal change that may be considered a real change in ocular torsion. This result may improve the interpretation of ocular torsion changes in surgery and clinical scenarios.
Health Shocks, Recovery, and the First Thousand Days: The Effect of the Second World War on Height Growth in Japanese Children
Authors: Schneider Eric B. , Ogasawara Kota , Cole Tim J.
Published: October 2021

This article uses the health shock on Japanese civilians of the Second World War to understand the effects of health shocks at different developmental stages on children's long‐run growth pattern and to test whether recovery is possible after an early‐life health shock. We construct a prefecture‐level dataset of mean heights of boys and girls aged 6–19 from 1929 to 2015. Linking the heights recorded at different ages for the same birth cohort, we measure a counterfactual causal effect of the health shocks during the Second World War on the cohort growth pattern of children. We find that the war effect was greatest for cohorts exposed to the war in late childhood and adolescence: these cohorts were 1.7–3.0 cm shorter at adulthood and had delayed pubertal growth and slower maturation than they would have had if the war had never occurred. However, there were no persistent health penalties for children exposed to the war in early life, suggesting that catch‐up growth was possible as health conditions improved after the war. These findings challenge the thousand‐days consensus that children cannot recover from nutritional shocks in early life and indicate that adolescence is a sensitive period for health shocks.
Evaluations of people, affection, and recommendation for a host country: A study of Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) recipients
Authors: Tam Lisa , Ayhan Kadir Jun
Published: October 2021

Extant research has examined the significance of interpersonal relationships in affecting public diplomacy outcomes. Relational public diplomacy is a long‐term approach to public diplomacy which posits the importance of people‐to‐people exchange programs that facilitate two‐way interactions between people from two different countries. Using survey data (n = 385) collected from alumni of the Global Korea Scholarship in 2018, this study found that respondents' perceptions of treatment by South Korean people influenced their comparisons of people from South Korea and their home countries. Moreover, the more highly they evaluated South Koreans compared to people in their home countries, the more likely it was that they would develop an affection and make positive recommendations toward South Korea as a destination for study and tourism. The empirical findings in this article have policy implications for scholarship programs as a public diplomacy tool beyond South Korea.

Related Articles in this Special Issue

Ayhan, Kadir Jun, and Nancy Snow. 2021. “Introduction to the Special Issue—Global Korea Scholarship: Empirical Evaluation of a non‐Western Scholarship Program from a Public Diplomacy Perspective.” Politics & Policy 49(6): 1282–1291. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12440.

Jon, Jae‐Eun, and Kadir Jun Ayhan. 2021. “Satisfied or Dissatisfied: The Determinants of Global Korea Scholarship Recipients’ Satisfaction with Lifein Korea.” Politics & Policy 49(6): 1391–1414. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12437.

Lee, Hyelim, and Nancy Snow. 2021. “Gendered Experience in Student Mobility Programs—Global Korea Scholarship Recipients’ Evaluation of Korea’s Country Image.” Politics & Policy 49(6): 1343–1358. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12441.
A Two‐Product Newsvendor Problem with Partial Demand Substitution
Authors: Lei Lei , Ru Jun , Shi Ruixia , Zhang Jun
Published: October 2021

We show that a two‐product newsvendor problem with partial demand substitution is equivalent to the classical newsvendor problem with the same economic parameters but an adjusted demand—the effective demand. By comparing the adjusted demand and the primary demand stochastically, we examine the impacts of demand substitution on the expected profit and optimal order quantities. We demonstrate that demand substitution reduces the newsvendor's demand variability in the sense of convex order. Furthermore, as the degree of substitution increases or the two products’ demands become less dependent in the sense of supermodular order, the newsvendor's effective demand becomes less uncertain, which implies a higher expected profit. Under rather general assumptions, we show that the distribution function for the newsvendor's effective demand satisfies the single‐crossing property as the degree of substitution changes. This allows us to rank the optimal order quantities for two different degrees of substitution. To further develop insights, we analyze the case where the demand dependence structure is modeled using copula. We show that the optimal profit is decreasing and convex in demand dependence. Furthermore, by exploring the interaction effect of demand dependence and the degree of substitution, we show that a firm can achieve positive synergy by simultaneously increasing the substitution degree and decreasing demand dependence.
Simulation modelling of yield losses caused by wheat stem rust
Authors: Willocquet Laetitia , Rossi Vittorio , Savary Serge
Published: October 2021

Stem rust, or black rust, of wheat, caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, has recently re‐emerged in several parts of the world, with epidemics occurring in eastern Africa, as well as northern and southern Europe. Damage mechanisms from disease dynamically affect the physiology of the crop as it grows and develops, and as the epidemic progresses, leading to yield losses in the stem rust‐diseased wheat stand. Process‐based agrophysiological models that include disease‐induced damage mechanisms can help to better understand the physiological processes leading to yield losses, and to inform strategic decisions such as breeding strategies. Such models have not been developed for wheat stem rust so far. Two damage mechanisms for stem rust, light stealing and assimilate diversion, were incorporated in the agrophysiological simulation model WHEATPEST. The model, tested from experimental field data retrieved from the literature, provides a satisfactory representation of the system, although consistently underestimates relative yield losses by about 6.9%, resulting in relative yield losses between 17% and 56%. Analyses highlight the importance of the diversion of assimilates toward the pathogen in the magnitude of yield loss. Considering only the reduction of green leaf area would underestimate damage from stem rust by at least threefold. The analysis also shows the importance of the dynamic interplay between disease and crop growth, especially the dynamics of leaf area, on yield loss. Directions to consider additional damage mechanisms are proposed, and perspectives for future research, especially in relation to plant breeding strategies under climate change, are offered.
Dignity reflections based on experiences of end‐of‐life care during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic: A qualitative inquiry among bereaved relatives in the Netherlands (the CO‐LIVE study)
Authors: Becqué Yvonne N. , van der Geugten Wendy , van der Heide Agnes , Korfage Ida J. , Pasman H. Roeline W. , Onwuteaka‐Philipsen Bregje D. , Zee Masha , Witkamp Erica , Goossensen Anne
Published: October 2021

Background

The COVID‐19 pandemic affects care practices for critically ill patients, with or without a COVID‐19 infection, and may have affected the experience of dying for patients and their relatives in the physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains.

Aim

To give insight into aspects of end‐of‐life care practices that might have jeopardised or supported the dignity of the patients and their family members during the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Netherlands.

Methodology

A qualitative study involving 25 in‐depth interviews with purposively sampled bereaved relatives of patients who died during the COVID‐19 pandemic between March and July 2020 in the Netherlands. We created a dignity‐inspired framework for analysis, and used the models of Chochinov et al. and Van Gennip et al. as sensitising concepts. These focus on illness‐related aspects and the individual, relational and societal/organisational level of dignity.

Results

Four themes concerning aspects of end‐of‐life care practices were identified as possibly jeopardising the dignity of patients or relatives: ‘Dealing with an unknown illness’, ‘Being isolated’, ‘Restricted farewells’ and ‘Lack of attentiveness and communication’. The analysis showed that ‘Meaningful end‐of‐life moments’ and ‘Compassionate professional support’ contributed to the dignity of patients and their relatives.

Conclusion

This study illuminates possible aspects of end‐of‐life care practices that jeopardised or supported dignity. Experienced dignity of bereaved relatives was associated with the unfamiliarity of the virus and issues associated with preventive measures. However, most aspects that had an impact on the dignity experiences of relatives were based in human action and relationships.

Relatives experienced that preventive measures could be mitigated by health care professionals to make them less devastating.
Demographic and Fertility Characteristics of Contraceptive Clusters in Burundi
Authors: MacQuarrie Kerry L.D. , Allen Courtney , Gemmill Alison
Published: October 2021

Examining women's reproductive experiences over time reveals a more dynamic view of women's behaviors and needs than current status measures alone. This study uses sequence and cluster analyses, which are designed for identifying patterns and subgroups in longitudinal data. We apply these methods to contraceptive calendar data in Burundi to identify discrete clusters of women based on contraceptive and pregnancy behaviors over the past 5 years. We identify six unique clusters; three characterized by no use of contraception (85 percent of women) and three by use (16 percent). The Quiet Calendar cluster (42 percent) comprise women who neither experience pregnancy nor use contraception. Family Builder 1 (25 percent) and 2 (18 percent) both include women who experience two pregnancies, but differ in unmet need and lifetime experience with contraception. Modern Mother (8 percent), Consistently Covered Mother (6 percent), and Traditional Mother (2 percent) clusters differ by type of contraception used following pregnancy. Factors associated with cluster membership are need for family planning, lifetime experience with contraception, marital status, pregnancy intention, and age. This clustering approach provides a new, more holistic way to measure the diverse needs across unique subpopulations and can inform the development of multifaceted, adaptable strategies to meet women's dynamic fertility needs over the reproductive life course.
To draft or not to draft? A systematic review of North American sports’ entry draft
Authors: Johnston Kathryn , Farah Lou , Ghuman Harleen , Baker Joseph
Published: October 2021

In theory, professional sport “entry drafts” are designed to promote parity by granting poorly performing teams with early selections and winning teams with later selections. While this process has intentions to "level the playing field", mixed findings exist in the literature. The aim of this review is to identify and synthesize the literature examining the efficacy of the draft for professional, North American sport leagues. A systematic review of four databases was performed according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses) guidelines. Full‐text articles containing relevant data on the draft system for the four major professional North American sports were identified. Further restrictions were made to include articles focusing on a specific outcome regarding future success (i.e., whether the draft related to a measure of future performance). The search returned 10 962 records and after screening, 18 articles were synthesized. Of the articles examined, the measures of future success with relation to draft order were (a) career length and/or number of games played at the majors (n = 8), (b) future performance statistics at the professional level (n = 5), (c) change in winning percentage and/or number of wins produced (n = 3), (d) financial compensation (n = 1), and (e) a combination of measures (a) to (d), (n = 1). Most commonly, the first/early rounds most accurately predicted future measures of success (ie, number of games played, signing bonuses, and playing statistics) across sports. The middle and late rounds were less accurate, with the degree of accuracy increasing slightly in the last rounds. This review highlights several opportunities to better understand the draft process (e.g., potential improvements in middle round picks) and emphasizes the need for more research on analyzing and scrutinizing the draft.