bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Something more beautiful: educational and epistemic integrations beyond inequities in Muslim-minority contexts
Authors: Alkouatli Claire , Memon Nadeem , Chown Dylan , Sai Youcef
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Islamic schools in Western secular societies are evolving in response to collective concerns over marginalization of Muslim children and communities and to increasing demands for high-quality education in the faith tradition. These schools are at the center of public debate over how they fit within secular societies. This paper aims to take a pedagogic look at the literature in the field of Islamic Education Studies.

Design/methodology/approach

Engaging in a collaborative thematic analytic review of this literature, in an educational hermeneutic approach, two novel themes are discerned as features of Muslim learners’ diverse educational landscapes.

Findings

The first theme, Dual Consciousness recognizes that young Muslims live parallel lives, moving between secular and faith-based schools and communities, and suggesting potential in developing cognitive flexibility across epistemic horizons. The second theme, Educational Transferables is a coalescence of abilities that young Muslims develop within sites of Islamic education, which may enhance their engagement in secular schools and societies.

Social implications

In highlighting possibilities for young people’s educational well-being in both secular and Islamic schools, with significant pedagogical implications for both, the themes featured in this paper suggest that Muslim learners’ complex educational experiences make varied contributions to heterogeneous societies.

Originality/value

Despite ongoing forces of marginalization, expressions of Islamic education have benefits for young Muslims negotiating complex sociocultural and educational worlds. In highlighting possibilities for young people’s educational well-being in both secular and Islamic schools, with significant pedagogical implications for both, these themes suggest that Muslim educators can nurture in young people the ability for complex, conceptual integration in contribution to heterogeneous societies.
How to drive green innovation of manufacturing SMEs under open innovation networks – the role of innovation platforms' relational governance
Authors: Sun Jingke , Xie Xiongbiao , Zhou Min , Yan Liang
Published: June 2023

Purpose

While the theory and practice of open innovation networks are flourishing, green innovation in manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is stagnant. This study explores the mechanism driving green innovation in manufacturing SMEs under open innovation networks based on the role of innovation platforms' relational governance.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative study was conducted using questionnaires to collect data from 270 manufacturing SMEs in Zhejiang Province and employing a structural equation model to test the developed hypotheses.

Findings

The results revealed that innovation platforms' relational governance positively affects green innovation in manufacturing SMEs. Furthermore, the collaborative innovation atmosphere and risk perception mediate this relationship through a respective mediating role and a chain-mediating role.

Originality/value

This study is the first to empirically investigate the mechanism of the influence of innovation platforms' relational governance on green innovation in manufacturing SMEs, provide a new perspective for understanding the antecedents of green innovation under open innovation networks, and expand the theoretical research on open innovation management.
Resilience among police officers: the role of personality functioning and protective factors
Authors: Angehrn Andréanne , Jourdan-Ionescu Colette , Gamache Dominick
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Police officers face a unique and challenging occupational experience and report elevated mental disorder symptoms relative to the general population. While gender differences appear to be present in police mental health, this study aims to find which factors foster and promote resilience in these workers and how gender may relate to police resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study was designed to explore how protective factors, sexual harassment and personality dysfunction impacted resilience among police officers (n = 380; 44% women). Furthermore, gender differences were also examined on these factors as well as on resilience rate.

Findings

Men and women police officers did not differ significantly in terms of resilience, protective factors and overall experiences of sexual harassment behaviors; yet, policewomen subjectively reported having experienced more sexual harassment in the past 12 months than policemen. Men reported greater personality difficulties than women, according to the alternative Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) model for personality disorders. Personality dysfunction was the most robust predictor of poor resilience (ß = −0.465; p < 0.001).

Originality/value

Personality fragilities appear to have an important negative impact on the resilience of police officers, over and above protective factors and gendered experiences. Interventions targeting emotion regulation, self-appraisal and self-reflection could help promote resilience and foster well-being in this population.
Exploring the use of images to support short break conversations with unpaid carers
Authors: Toms Gill , Seddon Diane , Miller Emma , Andrews Nick
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Short breaks enable unpaid carers to have a life alongside caring, supporting their physical and emotional well-being. In the UK, short breaks are usually explored during a Carers Assessment. The conversations underpinning these assessments require considerable skill and presently there are few tools to support the exploration of short break needs, desired outcomes and options. Images are used in other conversations to enhance communication, help people consider options and broaden thinking. This study aims to explore whether and how stakeholders thought images might support short break conversations.

Design/methodology/approach

To improve access to meaningful short breaks, we need to be guided by the insights of unpaid carers, those they support, practitioners, commissioners and policymakers. We hosted two online involvement events, designed to facilitate the exchange of perspectives and ideas amongst diverse stakeholders. The events explored the acceptability, facilitators and challenges of using images to enhance unpaid carer short break conversations.

Findings

The online events were attended by 47 short break stakeholders. These stakeholders saw merit in using images to support short break conversations. They identified several facilitators and challenges to introducing images into practice. The paper highlights how this learning can inform future research and practice development.

Originality/value

Supporting the well-being of older unpaid carers is a pertinent concern as the number of older unpaid carers continues to grow. This paper reports on how stakeholders have informed the earliest stages of practice and research development in a relevant area and provides a model of involvement that others can emulate.
On- and off-duty conduct(or): a feminist critical discourse analysis of two dismissals of a railway worker
Authors: Grant James D. , Mercer Danielle
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The authors sought to examine how hegemonic masculinity and sexism functioned in a storied, historic corporation, a test of MAnne's (2017) claim that misogyny is a structural phenomenon rather than being about anger and hatred of individual men.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was an archaeological excavation of discourse in a well-documented employment relationship. The researchers were informed by feminist poststructuralism and drew on critical discourse analysis of labour arbitration and media from the case of a woman, twice wrongfully dismissed.

Findings

The authors concluded that the employer was the site of hegemonic masculinity, which led to a train conductor being repeatedly targeted and demeaned in a bad faith and discriminatory manner for disrupting the conductor’s employer's patriarchal strictures. The authors found that misogyny shaped the conductors’s experience as a repeated pattern of abuse, a gendered feature of a patriarchal organisation, and a coercive matter of maintaining the conductor’s subordination. The authors also found that the male arbitrator in the conductor’s second dismissal arbitration became complicit in misogyny by penalising the conductor for acts of resistance, giving the employer what the employer wanted, to purge the conductor for violating the patriarchal norms.

Originality/value

The authors traced how a historic corporation demonstrated vulnerability to the resistance of a lone female worker, who faced discriminatory, disturbing and bad faith managerial behaviour in the creation of the conductor’s own meaning and resistant identity. The authors concluded that evidence of the regulation of employee relations, such as the decisions of arbitrators, can reveal the processes and outcomes of work under hegemonic masculinity, sexism and misogyny.
It takes two to tango: young Chinese consumers’ perspectives on global smartphone brands
Authors: Yu Hong Yan , Yang Deli , Yoder Carol , Sonmez Maho (Mahmut)
Published: June 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to study how brand owners and users enhance brand bond with three objectives. First, brand owners’ effort (BOE) to exercise care, innovate frequently and differentiate their brands enhances users’ bond with the brand. Second, brand users’ competence (BUC) in their knowledge and experience with the brand’s reputation, value and service quality improves brand bond. Third, BOE significantly enhances BUC.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposed an integrative model with new concepts and tested it with 2,135 young Chinese consumers using global smartphone brands. Results are drawn from structural equation modeling and comparisons between stakeholders and among smartphone brands.

Findings

The results show that BOE and BUC are significant and equally effective at enhancing brand bond. BOE also shows a significantly stronger effect on BUC than on brand bond. The temporal comparison between 2015 and 2018 confirms the changing reality of the smartphone world. As for brand comparison, young consumers perceive that iPhone differentiates itself from Huawei and Samsung rivals in terms of BOE and BUC on brand bond. However, none of these brands show significant differences in terms of BOE effect on BUC.

Research limitations/implications

Please see detail in the Conclusion and Discussions.

Practical implications

Please see detail in the Conclusion and Discussions.

Social implications

Please see detail in the Conclusion and Discussions.

Originality/value

This study introduced a validated model with new concepts based on the global smartphone industry, perceived by young Chinese consumers. The results prove that it takes both the owners and users together to contribute to the brand bond, but brand owners’ role on BUC is more significant.
Baba Nyonya Peranakan ethnic food: exploring the effect of media influence and curiosity on consumption intention of the youth generation
Authors: Zanzaizman Muhammad Nur Amier , Sheikh Mohamed Safri Siti Nur Syazaratul Syafiqah , Abdul Latip Muhammad Safuan
Published: June 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the consumption intention of Baba Nyonya Peranakan ethnic food among the youth generation by examining the effect of media influence and curiosity.

Design/methodology/approach

A causal study through the quantitative method is applied. This study focused on the youth generation, and a total of 219 valid responses were used for hypothesis testing using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and SmartPLS software. Purposive sampling, under non-probability sampling, was used. The data were collected through an online survey. The survey link was disseminated mainly on social media groups.

Findings

All of the hypotheses were found to be statistically significant. Media influence was found to directly and indirectly influence the consumption intention of Baba Nyonya ethnic food through attitude and curiosity. The involved stakeholders could also be more alert and improve the strategic planning based on the research finding that can stimulate more interest among consumers, benefiting the national gastronomy heritage tourism development.

Originality/value

The integration of biculturalism is rooted in knowledge about food, media coverage about food and food for social events that influence the formation of national food identity. Baba Nyonya food brings a unique identity with mixed heritage and culture, combined ingredients and recipes between two majority races of Malay and Chinese. However, exposure to ethnic food is lacking and causes the youth generation to unaware and not interested to try ethnic food. This study initiates to examine the effect of media influence and curiosity as food promotion via social media potentially to influence and lead to increased consumption of ethnic food.
Effect of the age of onset on epidemiology, clinical features, and comorbidity of geriatric psoriasis
Authors: Chen Chaofeng , Che Keying , Guo Yang , Huang Qiufeng , Hu Xiaoping , Yu Bo
Published: June 2023

Psoriasis is an immune‐mediated chronic, relapsing, inflammatory, systemic disease induced by a combination of genetics and environment. Currently, there are limited reports on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of geriatric psoriatic patients in mainland China. This study analyzed the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, and comorbidity rates of geriatric patients with psoriasis and evaluated the influence of age of onset on disease characteristics. This retrospective study enrolled 1259 geriatric patients with psoriasis in hospitals affiliated with the National Standardized Psoriasis Diagnosis and Treatment Center in China from September 2011 to July 2020 to analyze the epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, and prevalence of comorbidity in geriatric psoriasis. The cases were classified according to the age of onset into two groups to compare differences: early‐onset psoriasis (EOP) and late‐onset psoriasis (LOP). The mean age of geriatric patients with psoriasis was 67, with a 1.8:1 male‐to‐female ratio and 10.7% positive family history. The clinical manifestations of plaque psoriasis accounted for a high proportion (82.0%) and 85.1% of patients had moderate to severe disease. Overweight (27.8%), hypertension (18.0%), joint involvement (15.8%), diabetes (13.7%), and coronary heart disease (4.0%) were the first five common comorbidities. The LOP group had significantly more patients (79.9%) than the EOP group (20.1%). Positive family history was significantly associated with the EOP group (21.7%) than the LOP group (7.9%). The scalp (60.2%) was the most affected area, followed by the nails (25.3%), palmoplantar region (25.0%), and genitals (12.7%). This study analyzed the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of geriatric psoriasis in China and found that age of onset had no effect on disease characteristics or other comorbidities, except for toenail involvement, diabetes, and joint damage.
Untapped potentials on a well‐endowed plate: A sustainable future catalogue for the harmony of renewable technologies with thewater‐energy‐climate‐SDGsnexus
Authors: Şanlı Sera
Published: June 2023

This study aims to present a roadmap on which optimal solutions can be adopted for a sustainable water and energy management by focusing on the relationships among “Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, “Water‐Energy”, “Innovation‐Technology” and “Capacity‐Generation” blocks. The findings reveal that technological innovations are the core of sustainable solutions. An optimal bundle for policy tools should take SDG3, SDG10, SDG11, SDG12, SDG16, CH4‐N2O emissions, access to clean fuels, wastewater treatment and COVID‐19 major drivers into account primarily to explain the water‐energy nexus. Among the five worst‐performing technologies are hydrogen, CCUS, fuel cells, energy efficiency and electromobility‐electric energy management. Considering the constructed four scenarios together; levelized cost of electricity, global horizontal irradiation and photovoltaic (PV) power output seasonality are the only significant PV potential indicators despite their low impacts.
Quantifying the impact of farmers' social networks on the effectiveness of climate change mitigation policies in agriculture
Authors: Kreft Cordelia , Huber Robert , Schäfer David , Finger Robert
Published: June 2023

To reduce agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, farmers need to change current farming practices. However, farmers' climate change mitigation behaviour and particularly the role of social and individual characteristics remains poorly understood. Using an agent‐based modelling approach, we investigate how knowledge exchange within farmers' social networks affects the adoption of mitigation measures and the effectiveness of a payment per ton of GHG emissions abated. Our simulations are based on census, survey and interview data for 49 Swiss dairy and cattle farms to simulate the effect of social networks on overall GHG reduction and marginal abatement costs. We find that considering social networks increases overall reduction of GHG emissions by 45% at a given payment of 120 Swiss Francs (CHF) per ton of reduced GHG emissions. The per ton payment would have to increase by 380 CHF (i.e., 500 CHF/tCO2eq) to reach the same overall GHG reduction level without any social network effects. Moreover, marginal abatement costs for emissions are lower when farmers exchange relevant knowledge through social networks. The effectiveness of policy incentives aiming at agricultural climate change mitigation can hence be improved by simultaneously supporting knowledge exchange and opportunities of social learning in farming communities.
Classification and quantification of sucrose from sugar beet and sugarcane using optical spectroscopy and chemometrics
Authors: Eriklioglu Hilmi , Ilhan Esmanur , Khodasevich Mikhail , Korolko Darya , Manley Marena , Castillo Rosario , Oztop Mecit Halil
Published: June 2023

Sucrose, obtained from either sugar beet or sugarcane, is one of the main ingredients used in the food industry. Due to the same molecular structure, chemical methods cannot distinguish sucrose from both sources. More practical and affordable methods would be valuable. Sucrose samples (cane and beet) were collected from nine countries, 25% (w/w) aqueous solutions were prepared and their absorbances recorded from 200 to 1380 nm. Spectral differences were observable in the ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) region from 200 to 600 nm due to impurities in sugar. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA), classification and regression trees, and soft independent modeling of class analogy were tested for the UV–Vis region. All methods showed high performance accuracies. LDA, after selection of five wavelengths, gave 100% correct classification with a simple interpretation. In addition, binary mixtures of the sugar samples were prepared for quantitative analysis by means of partial least squares regression and multiple linear regression (MLR). MLR with first derivative Savitzky–Golay were most acceptable with root mean square error of cross‐validation, prediction, and the ratio of (standard error of) prediction to (standard) deviation values of 3.92%, 3.28%, and 9.46, respectively. Using UV–Vis spectra and chemometrics, the results show promise to distinguish between the two different sources of sucrose. An affordable and quick analysis method to differentiate between sugars, produced from either sugar beet or sugarcane, is suggested. This method does not involve complex chemical analysis or high‐level experts and can be used in research or by industry to detect the source of the sugar which is important for some countries’ agricultural policies.
Insight into the medium‐long‐medium structured lipids made from Camellia oil: Composition–structure relationship
Authors: Huang Chuanqing , Zhou Yanhui , Li Lu , Lin Lin , Li Changzhu , Ye Yong
Published: June 2023

Medium‐long‐medium (MLM) structured lipid (SL) as a new SL is a potential functional ingredient in food and nutraceutical products, but its composition–structure–physicochemical properties relationship has not been revealed in food industry. MLM type of medium‐long chain triacylglycerol (MLCT) was synthesized from Camellia oil by combi‐lipase; its physicochemical properties and composition–structure relationship were investigated in this research. The higher MLCT (67.24% ± 0.09) and MLM (52.71% ± 0.53) productivities were achieved after parameter optimization. The physicochemical characterization of SLs exhibited mild thermal property, intermediate Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy absorption intensity, and better crystal morphology. Joint characterizations identified that MLM and long‐medium‐long type SL were rich in 1,3‐dioctanoyl‐2‐linoleoyl glyceride (CaLCa), 1,3‐dioctanoyl‐2‐oleoyl glyceride (CaOCa), 1,3‐dilinoleoyl‐2‐octanoyl glyceride (LCaL), and 1,3‐dilinoleoyl‐2‐decanoyl glyceride (LCL) components, respectively. This is ascribed to the higher proportion of caprylic and linoleic acid in 1,3‐specific enzyme. The 3D structural analysis further demonstrated that the CaLCa, CaOCa, LCaL, and LCL molecules had lower steric energy to form symmetrical structure at 1,3‐position. This research provides a practical method to produce MLM‐type SL from edible oils and fats in food industry.
Association between computed tomography‐assessed sarcopenia and mortality in patients with anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis
Authors: Ahn Sung Soo , Park Yong‐Beom , Lee Sang‐Won
Published: June 2023

Aim

Sarcopenia is frequently observed in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases; however, its relationship with patient outcomes has not been well understood. This study evaluated the influence of sarcopenia, especially muscle quality, on outcomes of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis (AAV).

Methods

Records of patients with AAV at the Severance Hospital with computed tomography (CT) images taken at initial disease diagnosis were retrospectively reviewed. For measures of sarcopenia, normal attenuation muscle area (NAMA), low attenuation muscle area (LAMA), intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), and total abdominal muscle area (TAMA) in the axial muscles of the middle third lumbar vertebra level were calculated. Correlations between NAMA, LAMA, IMAT, and baseline patient characteristics, as well as the association between the NAMA/TAMA ratio and clinical outcomes were assessed.

Results

A total of 136 patients with CT images at AAV diagnosis were identified. Correlation analyses revealed that age, female sex, total cholesterol, and alanine aminotransferase were significantly associated with NAMA. LAMA was associated with age, body mass index (BMI), five‐factor score (FFS), and C‐reactive protein, and a relationship between IMAT and age and BMI was observed. During the follow up of 31.2 months, 23 (16.9%) patients died, and Cox‐proportional hazard analysis demonstrated that a NAMA/TAMA ≤0.46 (odds ratio [OR] 10.247, p < .001), female sex (OR 0.206, p = .006), dyslipidemia (OR 3.143, p = .027), creatinine (OR 1.342, p = .012), and FFS (OR 1.775, p = .046), were independently associated with patient mortality.

Conclusion

A higher rate of mortality was observed in patients with AAV with NAMA/TAMA ≤0.46, indicating that careful monitoring is required in these patients.
Does cultural identity facilitate cooperation?—Impact of business culture on boards and bank cooperation in Republican China
Authors: Kong Lingyu , Cheng Cheng , Wang Wenxiao
Published: June 2023

This paper studies the impact of cultural integration on business cooperation in the Republican Era. We collect the composition of bank boards and directors' biographical details of 28 principal banks in China, compiling a panel dataset from 1921 to 1936. The data allows us to classify directors' merchant groups, a typical cultural reflection, thereby calculating the cultural difference at the bank‐pair level. Using the boards' cultural traits, we find cultural difference among bank boards is negatively related to their director‐sharing decisions, an indicator of inter‐bank cooperation. Also, cultural identity on boards facilitates banks to participate in loan syndicates with the yield and risk shared. Further composition tests show that cultural attitude towards clan orientation, trust and open spirit embedded in the business culture is the root of inter‐banking cooperation. The finding reveals the importance of informal institutions in financial development and contributes to the debate on cultural and institutional bifurcation between China and Europe.
Rare causes of abdominal pain: a primer for the admitting general surgeon
Authors: Hamilton Jordan , Milenkovski Nicole , Martin Katherine , Tully Emma , Peng Calvin , Hayes Ian
Published: June 2023

The broad uptake of the acute surgical unit (ASU) model of surgical care in Australia has resulted in general surgeons becoming increasingly involved in the management of patients with acute abdominal pain (AAP), some of whom will be labelled as having non‐specific abdominal pain (NSAP) (Kinnear N, Jolly S, Herath M, et al. The acute surgical unit: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis. review. Int. J. Surg. 2021;94:106109; Lehane CW, Jootun RN, Bennett M, Wong S, Truskett P. Does an acute care surgical model improve the management and outcome of acute cholecystitis? ANZ J. Surg. 2010;80:438‐42). NSAP patients lack a clear diagnosis of surgical pathology based on standard clinical, laboratory and imaging work‐up, although they may require ASU admission for pain control and assessment. This article provides a review of uncommon conditions, presenting as AAP, that could possibly be mis‐labelled as NSAP, with a focus on aspects of the presentation that may aid diagnosis and management including specific demographic features, clinical findings, key investigations and initial treatment priorities for ASU clinicians. Ultimately, most of the conditions discussed will not require surgical intervention, however, they require a diagnosis to be made and initial treatment planning before on‐referral to the appropriate specialty. For the on‐call general surgeon, some knowledge of these conditions and an index of suspicion are invaluable for the prompt diagnosis and efficient management of these patients.
Oxycodone does not affect placental circulatory physiology during the early first stage of labor—A randomized trial
Authors: Alanne Leena , Kokki Hannu , Mykkänen Anu , Ordén Maija‐Riitta , Rinne Valtteri , Räsänen Juha , Kokki Merja
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Opioids are used for pain relief during the first stage of labor. Oxycodone can cause maternal hypotension that may modify utero‐ and fetoplacental circulatory physiology. We hypothesized that maternal intravenous (i.v.) oxycodone has no detrimental effect on utero‐ and fetoplacental hemodynamics during the early first stage of labor.

Material and methods

Twenty‐two parturients requiring pain relief during the first stage of labor were randomized in a double‐blinded and placebo‐controlled study. By Doppler ultrasonography, both uterine artery (Ut) and umbilical vein (UV) volume blood flows (Q), Ut pulsatility index (PI), and Ut vascular resistance (RUt) were calculated. Blood flow velocity waveforms were obtained between uterine contractions. After baseline measurements, women received oxycodone 0.05 mg/kg or a placebo intravenous. Doppler ultrasonography was repeated up to 120 min after the first drug administration. The second dose of oxycodone 0.05 mg/kg was allowed at 60 min to all parturients with contraction pain ≥5/10. Maternal plasma samples were collected at each study phase and after delivery with umbilical cord plasma samples, to measure oxycodone concentrations. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT no. NCT02573831).

Results

At baseline, mean QUt and QUV did not differ significantly between the placebo‐first (478 mL/min and 57 mL/min/kg) and the oxycodone‐first (561 mL/min and 71 mL/min/kg) groups. In addition, RUt and Ut PI were comparable between the groups. Following oxycodone at 60 min, mean QUt and QUV (714 mL/min and 52 mL/min/kg) were similar to the placebo‐first (520 mL/min and 55 mL/min/kg) group. Furthermore, all the measured parameters were comparable to the baseline values. At 60 min after the first study drug administration, all the parturients in the placebo‐first group needed intravenous oxycodone 0.05 mg/kg. At 120 min, we found no statistically significant change in any of the measured parameters. No significant correlation was found between maternal oxycodone concentration and QUt or QUV. Furthermore, newborn oxycodone concentration did not correlate with QUV.

Conclusions

Oxycodone did not have any detrimental effect on either utero‐ or fetoplacental circulatory physiology during the early first stage of labor. Maternal plasma oxycodone did not correlate with utero‐ and fetoplacental hemodynamics. No correlation was found between newborn oxycodone concentration and fetoplacental hemodynamics.
Interpersonal matching of autistic trait levels in typically developed individuals is associated with spontaneous gaze following and initiation during face‐to‐face social interaction
Authors: Xie Jiushu , Chen Jiahan , Wu Jiaxuan , Liu Yang , Gu Xinyuan , Jiang Wenrui , Yang Mengru , Huang Yanli
Published: June 2023

Objectives

People with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) usually exhibit typical behaviours and thoughts that are called autistic traits. Autistic traits are widely and continuously distributed among typically developed (TD) and ASD populations. Previous studies have found that people with ASD have difficulty in following the eye gaze of social peers. However, it remains unknown whether TD adults with high or low autistic traits also differ in spontaneous gaze following and initiation in face‐to‐face social interactions. To fill this gap, this study used a novel and naturalistic gaze‐cueing paradigm to examine this research question.

Design

A 4 (group: high‐high, high‐low, low‐high or low‐low autistic traits) × 3 (congruency: congruent, neutral, or incongruent) mixed‐measures design was used.

Methods

Typically developed adults who were high or low in autistic traits completed a visual search task while a confederate who was high or low in autistic traits sat facing them. Critically, the match of autistic traits within a participant–confederate pair was manipulated. The confederate gazed at (congruent) or away from (incongruent) the location of the target prior to the appearance of the target. Participants were not explicitly instructed to follow the confederate's gaze.

Results

Autistic traits were associated with spontaneous gaze following and initiation in face‐to‐face social interactions. Specifically, only when both the participant and confederate were low in autistic traits did the incongruent gaze cues of confederates interfere with the participants' responses.

Conclusions

Autistic traits impeded gaze following and initiation by TD adults. This study has theoretical and practical implications regarding autistic trait‐induced social deficits and indicates a new approach for social skill interventions.
A comprehensive analysis of infantile central nervous system tumors to improve distinctive criteria for infant‐type hemispheric glioma versus desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma/astrocytoma
Authors: Tauziède‐Espariat Arnault , Beccaria Kévin , Dangouloff‐Ros Volodia , Sievers Philipp , Meurgey Alexandra , Pissaloux Daniel , Appay Romain , Saffroy Raphaël , Grill Jacques , Mariet Cassandra , Bourdeaut Franck , Hasty Lauren , Métais Alice , Chrétien Fabrice , Blauwblomme Thomas , Puget Stéphanie , Boddaert Nathalie , Varlet Pascale ,   the RENOCLIP‐LOC
Published: June 2023

Recent epigenomic analyses have revealed the existence of a new DNA methylation class (MC) of infant‐type hemispheric glioma (IHG). Like desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma/astrocytoma (DIG/DIA), these tumors mainly affect infants and are supratentorial. While DIG/DIA is characterized by BRAF or RAF1 alterations, IHG has been shown to have receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) gene fusions (ALK, ROS1, NTRK1/2/3, and MET). However, in this rapidly evolving field, a more comprehensive analysis of infantile glial/glioneuronal tumors including clinical, radiological, histopathological, and molecular data is needed. Here, we retrospectively investigated data from 30 infantile glial/glioneuronal tumors, consecutively compiled from our center. They were analyzed by two experienced pediatric neuroradiologists in consensus, without former knowledge of the molecular data. We also performed a comprehensive clinical, and histopathological examination (including molecular evaluation by next‐generation sequencing, RNA sequencing, and fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH] analyses), as well as DNA methylation profiling for the samples having sufficient material available. The integrative histopathological, genetic, and epigenetic analyses, including t‐distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t‐SNE) analyses segregated tumors into 10 DIG/DIA (33.3%), six IHG (20.0%), three gangliogliomas (10.0%), two pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (6.7%), two pilocytic astrocytomas (6.7%), two supratentorial ependymomas, ZFTA fusion‐positive (6.7%), two supratentorial ependymomas, YAP1 fusion‐positive (6.7%), two embryonal tumors with PLAGL2‐family amplification (6.7%), and one diffuse low‐grade glioma, MAPK‐pathway altered. This study highlights the significant differential features, in terms of histopathology (leptomeningeal infiltration, intense desmoplasia and ganglion cells in DIG/DIA and necrosis, microvascular proliferation, and siderophages in IHG), and radiology between DIG/DIA and IHG. Moreover, these results are consistent with the literature data concerning the molecular dichotomy (BRAF/RAF1 alterations vs. RTK genes' fusions) between DIG/DIA and IHG. This study characterized histopathologically and radiologically two additional cases of the novel embryonal tumor characterized by PLAGL2 gene amplification.
Engagements with the Past and Armenians' Settlement Journeys in Canada
Authors: Bayar Yeşim
Published: June 2023

Examinations of migrants’ experiences have traditionally been confined to host country experiences. More recent studies consider the homeland‐hostland relationship as a dynamic one, while also paying attention to the impact of events that happen outside these two landscapes. This article seeks to build on these latter works by considering the homeland‐hostland connection from a different angle and argues that, when it happens, the post‐migration discovery of homeland communal and personal histories results in salient personal transformations. Moreover, these hostland experiences are largely facilitated by encounters with the larger ethnic community. The examination draws upon data collected on Armenian migrants from Turkey to Canada.
Attentional modulation of neural sound tracking in children with and without dyslexia
Authors: Guerra Giada , Tierney Adam , Tijms Jurgen , Vaessen Anniek , Bonte Milene , Dick Frederic
Published: June 2023

Auditory selective attention forms an important foundation of children's learning by enabling the prioritisation and encoding of relevant stimuli. It may also influence reading development, which relies on metalinguistic skills including the awareness of the sound structure of spoken language. Reports of attentional impairments and speech perception difficulties in noisy environments in dyslexic readers are also suggestive of the putative contribution of auditory attention to reading development. To date, it is unclear whether non‐speech selective attention and its underlying neural mechanisms are impaired in children with dyslexia and to which extent these deficits relate to individual reading and speech perception abilities in suboptimal listening conditions. In this EEG study, we assessed non‐speech sustained auditory selective attention in 106 7‐to‐12‐year‐old children with and without dyslexia. Children attended to one of two tone streams, detecting occasional sequence repeats in the attended stream, and performed a speech‐in‐speech perception task. Results show that when children directed their attention to one stream, inter‐trial‐phase‐coherence at the attended rate increased in fronto‐central sites; this, in turn, was associated with better target detection. Behavioural and neural indices of attention did not systematically differ as a function of dyslexia diagnosis. However, behavioural indices of attention did explain individual differences in reading fluency and speech‐in‐speech perception abilities: both these skills were impaired in dyslexic readers. Taken together, our results show that children with dyslexia do not show group‐level auditory attention deficits but these deficits may represent a risk for developing reading impairments and problems with speech perception in complex acoustic environments.

Research Highlights

Non‐speech sustained auditory selective attention modulates EEG phase coherence in children with/without dyslexia

Children with dyslexia show difficulties in speech‐in‐speech perception

Attention relates to dyslexic readers’ speech‐in‐speech perception and reading skills

Dyslexia diagnosis is not linked to behavioural/EEG indices of auditory attention
Automated contour extraction for light‐sheet microscopy images of zebrafish embryos based on object edge detection algorithm
Authors: Kondow Akiko , Ohnuma Kiyoshi , Taniguchi Atsushi , Sakamoto Joe , Asashima Makoto , Kato Kagayaki , Kamei Yasuhiro , Nonaka Shigenori
Published: June 2023

Embryo contour extraction is the initial step in the quantitative analysis of embryo morphology, and it is essential for understanding the developmental process. Recent developments in light‐sheet microscopy have enabled the in toto time‐lapse imaging of embryos, including zebrafish. However, embryo contour extraction from images generated via light‐sheet microscopy is challenging owing to the large amount of data and the variable sizes, shapes, and textures of objects. In this report, we provide a workflow for extracting the contours of zebrafish blastula and gastrula without contour labeling of an embryo. This workflow is based on the edge detection method using a change point detection approach. We assessed the performance of the edge detection method and compared it with widely used edge detection and segmentation methods. The results showed that the edge detection accuracy of the proposed method was superior to those of the Sobel, Laplacian of Gaussian, adaptive threshold, Multi Otsu, and k‐means clustering‐based methods, and the noise robustness of the proposed method was superior to those of the Multi Otsu and k‐means clustering‐based methods. The proposed workflow was shown to be useful for automating small‐scale contour extractions of zebrafish embryos that cannot be specifically labeled owing to constraints, such as the availability of microscopic channels. This workflow may offer an option for contour extraction when deep learning‐based approaches or existing non‐deep learning‐based methods cannot be applied.
Mobility and migration in Byzantium: who gets to tell the story?
Authors: Rapp Claudia
Published: June 2023

This article underlines the importance of approaching written sources for what they are: authorial constructs. This is true also for depictions of mobility and migration. Byzantine authors instrumentalized these for their own purposes beyond the event at hand. Authorial focus, along with the requirements of the chosen literary genre, is also the reason for the different scales of actors that appear in these texts, whether large blurry masses of nameless people, smaller groups with a distinct profile, or finely drawn individuals.
Mobility in seventh‐century Byzantium: analysing Emperor Heraclius’ political ideology and propaganda
Authors: Sykopetritou Paraskevi
Published: June 2023

This paper aims to shed light on the mobility of people and relics in the seventh century. It will show that Emperor Heraclius strategically designed his movements and those of his household, citizens, and officials, as well as those of relics within and beyond the borders of Byzantium, in order to consolidate the empire and his position in it. These movements also allowed Heraclius to associate himself effectively with Old Testament, antique, and Byzantine exemplary models of leadership. Overall, this look at mobility in terms of political ideology and propaganda provides a more nuanced understanding of imperial leadership in seventh‐century Byzantium.
A post‐processing procedure for predicting high‐ and low‐cycle fatigue life of welded structures based on the master E–N curve
Authors: Liu Xiaochao , Lei Linsen , Xing Shizhu , Gu Tang , Li Xiangwei , Zhao Shangchao , Pei Xianjun
Published: June 2023

This work provides a post‐processing procedure to predict the high‐ and low‐cycle fatigue life of welded structures. The post‐processor calculates the equivalent structural strain range, given the traction stress state at the weld notch, by enforcing the equilibrium condition and Navier's hypothesis. The return mapping algorithm is applied to deal with the low‐cycle fatigue condition in which through‐thickness plastic deformation develops. The proposed method predicts the fatigue life of 793 welded joints of different configurations made from steel, magnesium, titanium, and aluminum alloy. The predicted high‐ and low‐cycle fatigue lives agree equally well with the experimental result.
Declining tree growth resilience mediates subsequent forest mortality in theUSMountain West
Authors: Cabon Antoine , DeRose R. Justin , Shaw John D. , Anderegg William R. L.
Published: June 2023

Climate change‐triggered forest die‐off is an increasing threat to global forests and carbon sequestration but remains extremely challenging to predict. Tree growth resilience metrics have been proposed as measurable proxies of tree susceptibility to mortality. However, it remains unclear whether tree growth resilience can improve predictions of stand‐level mortality. Here, we use an extensive tree‐ring dataset collected at ~3000 permanent forest inventory plots, spanning 13 dominant species across the US Mountain West, where forests have experienced strong drought and extensive die‐off has been observed in the past two decades, to test the hypothesis that tree growth resilience to drought can explain and improve predictions of observed stand‐level mortality. We found substantial increases in growth variability and temporal autocorrelation as well declining drought resistance and resilience for a number of species over the second half of the 20th century. Declining resilience and low tree growth were strongly associated with cross‐ and within‐species patterns of mortality. Resilience metrics had similar explicative power compared to climate and stand structure, but the covariance structure among predictors implied that the effect of tree resilience on mortality could partially be explained by stand and climate variables. We conclude that tree growth resilience offers highly valuable insights on tree physiology by integrating the effect of stressors on forest mortality but may have only moderate potential to improve large‐scale projections of forest die‐off under climate change.
Long‐term changes in Noctiluca scintillans blooms along the Chinese coast from 1933 to 2020
Authors: Wang Kang , Lin Hui , Peng Conghui , Sun Lin , Gao Yahui , Chen Baohong
Published: June 2023

Noctiluca scintillans is one of the most common harmful algal species and widely known due to its bioluminescence. In this study, the spatial distribution, seasonal variations, and long‐term trends of N. scintillans blooms in China and the related drivers were analyzed and discussed. From 1933 to 2020, a total of 265 events of N. scintillans blooms were recorded in Chinese coastal waters, with a total duration of 1052 days. The first N. scintillans bloom occurred in Zhejiang in 1933, and only three events were recorded before 1980. From 1981 to 2020, N. scintillans caused harmful algal blooms (HABs) almost every year, both the average duration and the proportion of multiphase HABs showed an increasing trend. 1986–1992, 2002–2004, and 2009–2016 were the three peak periods with a frequency of no less than five events of N. scintillans blooms per year. In terms of spatial distribution, N. scintillans blooms spread from the Southeast China Sea to the Bohai Sea after 2000, Guangdong, Fujian, and Hebei were the three provinces with the highest numbers of recorded events of N. scintillans blooms. Moreover, 86.8% of the events of N. scintillans blooms occurred in spring (March, April, and May) and summer (June, July, and August). Among environmental factors, the dissolved inorganic phosphate, dissolved silicate and chemical oxygen demand were significantly correlated with the cell density of N. scintillans during N. scintillans blooms, and most of N. scintillans blooms were recorded in the temperature range of 18.0–25.0°C. Precipitation, hydrodynamics, water temperature, and food availability might be the main factors affecting the spatial–temporal distribution of N. scintillans blooms along the Chinese coast.
Late‐Quaternary megafauna extinctions have strongly reduced mammalian vegetation consumption
Authors: Pedersen Rasmus Østergaard , Faurby Søren , Svenning Jens‐Christian
Published: June 2023

Aim

How much stronger would the effects of herbivorous mammals be in natural ecosystems if human‐linked extinctions and extirpations had not occurred? Many mammal species have experienced range contractions, and numerous species have gone extinct in the late Quaternary, completely or in large part linked to human pressures. Therefore, herbivore consumption rates in seemingly natural ecosystems will deviate from their pre‐anthropogenic state. Here, we estimate the size of this deviation.

Location

Terrestrial systems, globally.

Time period

Current.

Major taxa studied

All late‐Quaternary terrestrial mammals.

Methods

We estimated and mapped vegetation consumption rate by all late‐Quaternary terrestrial mammals. We did this through the estimation of natural densities and dietary needs. We mapped their consumption rate in both current ranges and present‐natural ranges, that is estimated ranges in the absence of human‐linked range contractions and extinctions. We compared these estimated consumption rates to current net primary productivity (NPP). We summarized the results across ecosystem types everywhere as well as for only the last remaining wilderness areas.

Results

We estimate that wild mammals consume a median of 11% of NPP (at the scale of 96.5 km × 96.5 km grid cells) in current natural areas and that this would have been much higher in the absence of extinctions and extirpations, namely 21%. Looking at the change per grid cell, the mammal losses result in a median 42% reduction in consumption rate. Importantly, we estimate very similar declines in herbivory in what are considered the last remaining wilderness areas.

Main conclusions

Our results suggest that the natural interaction of mammalian herbivores with vegetation in ecosystems across the world is strongly reduced by prehistoric and historic to recent species losses, even in the last remaining wilderness areas, likely with major effects on ecosystem structure and functioning.