bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘The Pandemic Affected My Life in a Negative Way’: The Experiences of Estonian Children in Child Protective Services During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
Authors: Toros Karmen
Published: October 2021

This study investigates children's experiences concerning the effect of the containment measures associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) on their daily lives. A small‐scale study using in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews was conducted in Estonia with 10 children registered with Child Protective Services (CPS) as in need of assistance. The COVID‐19 pandemic generally negatively affected the children, who struggled with e‐schooling, social relationships and emotional well‐being. Most of the children reported struggling with their emotional well‐being, using words such as anxiety, tension, fear, sadness, and depressing. Not all of the children received the necessary support or assistance from the CPS. The children reported a few positive experiences during the COVID‐19 pandemic, such as attaining a more personalised method and schedule for studying and receiving parental support during e‐schooling.
No implication of HIV coinfection on the plasma exposure to rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol in tuberculosis patients
Authors: Nardotto Glauco Henrique Balthazar , Bollela Valdes Roberto , Rocha Adriana , Della Pasqua Oscar , Lanchote Vera Lucia
Published: October 2021

There are contrasting findings regarding the effect of HIV on the pharmacokinetics of first‐line anti‐tubercular drugs (FLATDs) due to a lack of prospective controlled clinical studies, including patients with tuberculosis (TB) and patients with TB living with HIV. This study aims to assess the effect of HIV coinfection and antiviral therapy on the plasma exposure to FLATDs in patients with TB. HIV negative (TB‐HIV− group; n = 15) and HIV positive (TB‐HIV+ group; n = 18) adult patients with TB were enrolled during the second month of FLATDs treatment. All TB‐HIV+ patients were on treatment with lamivudine, tenofovir (or zidovudine), and raltegravir (or efavirenz). Serial blood sampling was collected over 24 h and FLATDs pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated using noncompartmental methods. In the TB‐HIV+ patients, dose‐normalized plasma exposure area under the curve from zero to 24 h (nAUC0–24; geometric mean and 95% confidence interval [CI]) values at steady‐state to rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol were 18.38 (95% CI 13.74–24.59), 238.21 (95% CI 191.09–296.95), and 18.33 (95% CI 14.56–23.09) µg∙h/ml, respectively. Similar plasma exposure was found in the TB‐HIV− patients. The geometric mean and 90% CI of the ratios between TB‐HIV− and TB‐HIV+ groups suggest no significant pharmacokinetic interaction between the selected antivirals and FLATDs. Likewise, HIV coinfection itself does not appear to have any effect on the plasma exposure to FLATDs.
Bribes and Bureaucracy Size: The Strategy of Watering Down Corruption
Authors: Caserta Maurizio , Ferrante Livio , Reito Francesco
Published: October 2021

We present a simple agency model with a revenue‐maximizing government and many public officials (agents) in charge of collecting payments from citizens. Agents are of two types, honest and potentially dishonest, with the latter having an inherent propensity to demand bribes from citizens. This propensity may eventually turn into actual (perceived) corruption depending on the strategy pursued by the government. In equilibrium, we derive a non‐linear relationship between potential and perceived corruption and, specifically, three distinct policy regimes in which the opportunistic behaviour is curbed, eradicated or tolerated. Different regimes are characterized by different bureaucracy sizes, and we conjecture that low levels of perceived corruption may, in some circumstances, be due to a dilution effect of bribery cases on large numbers of public employees. Some simple descriptive evidence on European regions appears to confirm our theoretical insights.
Prevalence and predictors of left atrial appendage inactivity in patients of rheumatic mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm: An observational study
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Saibal , Dwivedi Yogesh , Yusuf Jamal , Uppal Abhimanyu , Mehta Vimal
Published: October 2021

Background

Systemic thromboembolism is a known complication of rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMS) in sinus rhythm (SR). Left atrial appendage (LAA), the commonest site of thrombus formation is usually hypocontractile (inactive) in such patients. We aimed to study the prevalence of LAA inactivity (LAAI) in severe RMS and assess its independent predictors.

Methods

The study population consisted of 100 patients of severe RMS in SR. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography were done to assess LAA contractile function. Patients with LAA‐peak emptying velocity < 25 cm/seconds were defined as having LAAI.

Results

The mean age of study subjects was 31.66±8.69 years and 56% were females. 73% patients had LAAI (Group A), while remaining 27% had normal LAA function (Group B). Mitral‐valve area (MVA) and lateral annulus systolic velocity (Sa‐wave) were significantly lower while mitral valve mean gradient (MVMG) and serum fibrinogen were significantly higher (all p‐values < 0.001) in group A patients. On multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, MVMG (p < 0.001), Sa‐wave (p = 0.02), and serum fibrinogen (p = 0.005) were independent predictors of LAAI. Optimal cut‐off values of MVMG, Sa‐wave and serum fibrinogen for predicting LAAI were 11.5 mm Hg, 6.8 cm/seconds and 300 mg/dl, respectively. Sixty‐Seven (90.55%) patients in group A compared to 13(48.1%) in group B had LA/LAA smoke. LAAI was the only independent predictor of left atrium (LA)/LAA smoke with or without associated thrombus.

Conclusion

There is high prevalence of LAAI in patients of severe MS in SR. MVMG, Sa‐wave, and serum fibrinogen levels are independent predictors of LAAI. LAAI is an independent predictor of LA/LAA smoke with or without associated thrombus.
Practicing Best Practice: A 10‐Year Retrospective on Universal Risk Screening in a Mediation and Counseling Organization
Authors: Lee Jamie , Ralfs Claire , Booth Anna , McIntosh Jennifer E.
Published: October 2021

Separation is a high‐risk time in families and for many it marks the onset or escalation of family safety and wellbeing risks like Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). Best practice for identifying such risks in court or community mediation services is systematic inquiry about safety risks with structured tools to overcome under‐reporting of risks. However, turning best practice recommendations into routine practice can take years – even when the evidence is strong that practitioners and their clients will ultimately benefit. Relationships Australia South Australia has addressed this evidence‐practice gap by engaging our leadership and undertaking whole‐of‐organization implementation of the Family DOORS framework. This includes the validated screening tool DOOR 1, that helps practitioners identify and respond to family‐wide risks during peak stress such as separation. In this article, we review our 10‐year implementation journey towards best practice in risk screening, reporting on 28,097 screens completed with clients to date. We describe the initiatives used to address practitioner and infrastructure barriers to implementation. We present both quantitative and qualitative indicators of practitioner change along with client survey data (n = 1,291), demonstrating changes in practices that have enhanced client engagement and led to an increase in client safety and wellbeing outcomes. We share recommendations for and innovations in translation to other service contexts. We hope that using the following recommendations and adopting the DOORS tools will encourage and enable others to implement best practice risk screening in far less than 10 years.
Factors regulating lake periphyton biomass and nutrient limitation status across a large trophic gradient
Authors: Ozersky Ted , Camilleri Andrew
Published: October 2021

Because of the historical focus of limnology on pelagic processes, the factors controlling lake periphyton growth and nutrient limitation are understudied compared to the phytoplankton.

We deployed nutrient‐diffusing substrata at 28 sites spanning a wide trophic status gradient in Lakes Superior and Michigan to assess periphyton biomass accrual on control substrata and the response of periphyton to single and combined phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) additions.

Periphyton growth was unimodally related to a composite metric of site trophic status, with highest biomass at mesotrophic sites and lower growth at oligotrophic and highly eutrophic sites. Contrary to expectations, P limitation was rare. Instead, several lines of evidence pointed to primary N or N + P co‐limitation of periphyton. Limitation extent was negatively related to site trophic status, with stronger nutrient limitation at oligotrophic sites.

Our results support the hypothesis that phytoplankton and periphyton biomass respond differently to nutrient enrichment and suggest that different nutrients may limit pelagic and benthic primary production, even in the same system.

Our findings also support the use of periphyton as an early warning indicator of nutrient pollution and help explain why large, oligotrophic lakes may be especially susceptible to localised benthic algal blooms.
Marine and freshwater regime changes impact a community of migratory Pacific salmonids in decline
Authors: Wilson Kyle L. , Bailey Colin J. , Davies Trevor D. , Moore Jonathan W.
Published: October 2021

Marine and freshwater ecosystems are increasingly at risk of large and cascading changes from multiple human activities (termed “regime shifts”), which can impact population productivity, resilience, and ecosystem structure. Pacific salmon exhibit persistent and large fluctuations in their population dynamics driven by combinations of intrinsic (e.g., density dependence) and extrinsic factors (e.g., ecosystem changes, species interactions). In recent years, many Pacific salmon have declined due to regime shifts but clear understanding of the processes driving these changes remains elusive. Here, we unpacked the role of density dependence, ecosystem trends, and stochasticity on productivity regimes for a community of five anadromous Pacific salmonids (Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Pink Salmon, Dolly Varden, and Coastal Cutthroat Trout) across a rich 40‐year time‐series. We used a Bayesian multivariate state‐space model to examine whether productivity shifts had similarly occurred across the community and explored marine or freshwater changes associated with those shifts. Overall, we identified three productivity regimes: an early regime (1976–1990), a compensatory regime (1991–2009), and a declining regime (since 2010) where large declines were observed for Steelhead, Dolly Varden, and Cutthroat Trout, intermediate declines in Coho and no change in Pink Salmon. These regime changes were associated with multiple cumulative effects across the salmon life cycle. For example, increased seal densities and ocean competition were associated with lower adult marine survival in Steelhead. Watershed logging also intensified over the past 40 years and was associated with (all else equal) ≥97% declines in freshwater productivity for Steelhead, Cutthroat, and Coho. For Steelhead, marine and freshwater dynamics played approximately equal roles in explaining trends in total productivity. Collectively, these changing environments limited juvenile production and lowered future adult returns. These results reveal how changes in freshwater and marine environments can jointly shape population dynamics among ecological communities, like Pacific salmon, with cascading consequences to their resilience.
Forensics, body and state power in South Asia: Recent interventions and their importance
Authors: Singh Gagan Preet
Published: October 2021

Forensics were introduced in South Asia during the colonial rule as “scientific” practices to procure “reliable” forms of evidence. Their ostensible goal was to protect innocents and to punish wrong‐doers. In the recent decades, however, forensics have become notorious for their repressive character. Is there something wrong with forensics? Is there some problem with the practice or there is a fundamental problem in the manner in which forensics were conceptualized and introduced during the colonial rule. With a critical reading of the recent historiography of forensics, where it has been suggested that forensics had devastating impact on the lives of colonial subjects, this article explores the relationship between forensics, bodies, and state‐power. The article suggests that repression is embedded in the idea of forensics, and the history of forensics is a story of abuse, violence, and repression.
A comprehensive analysis of cytopenias and bone marrow morphology in patients with a history of bariatric and metabolic surgery
Authors: Bruehl Frido K. , Bosler David S. , Butsch W. Scott , Farkas Daniel H. , Ondrejka Sarah L.
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Following bariatric and metabolic surgery (BMS), patients may develop persistent cytopenia(s) despite adequate micronutrient levels. A comprehensive analysis of laboratory and hematopathologic findings in BMS patients with unexplained cytopenia(s) has not been previously described.

Methods

We reviewed the clinical and laboratory data, bone marrow histology, and used ancillary testing to characterize patients with a history of BMS who had subsequent bone marrow biopsies due to unexplained cytopenia(s).

Results

All patients had anemia and 59% (23/39) had additional cytopenias. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and clonal cytopenia of unknown significance (CCUS) were diagnosed in 8% (3/39) and 10% (4/39), respectively. Remaining cases were classified as idiopathic cytopenia of unknown significance (ICUS) with anemia alone (ICUS‐A) in 47% (15/32) or multiple cytopenias (ICUS‐PAN) in 53% (17/32). Time since surgery, age, or amount of weight loss was not associated with a specific diagnosis. No patient was vitamin B12 or folate deficient. However, vitamin B6 and zinc were decreased in 47% (5/11) and 29% (9/29), respectively. Examination of bone marrow aspirates revealed slight erythroid dyspoiesis affecting <10% of precursors in 60% (9/15) ICUS‐A and 59% (10/17) ICUS‐PAN.

Conclusion

Bone marrow findings in patients with unexplained cytopenia(s) after BMS are not specific in the majority of cases, and caution is advised when interpreting dyserythropoiesis. Levels of micronutrients and vitamins other than iron, folate and vitamin B12 are frequently disturbed in this patient cohort and warrant correction and close clinical follow‐up.
Subcutaneous ertapenem delivered by an Australian outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy service: a retrospective comparative efficacy study
Authors: Hiew Jonathan , Whitmore Timothy , McEvoy Mahalia , Weatherall Deborah , Ingram Paul R. , Manning Laurens
Published: October 2021

Subcutaneous (SC) administration of ertapenem in outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) services may be a practical alternative to intravenous delivery for complicated infections. The clinical features and outcomes according to route of administration were compared from a large Australian OPAT service. Chronic renal impairment was more common in the SC group, reflecting an opportunity for route of administration as a vein preservation strategy. Adverse events were uncommon and successful outcomes were not different between the groups.
Comprehensive landscape and interference of clonal haematopoiesis mutations for liquid biopsy: A Chinese pan‐cancer cohort
Authors: Xu Enwu , Su Kai , Zhou Yang , Gong Longlong , Xuan Yiwen , Liao Ming , Cao Jiawang , Li Yaqian , Lu Yujiao , Zhao Yi , Chen Fengxia
Published: October 2021

Tumour‐derived DNA found in the plasma of cancer patients provides the probability to detect somatic mutations from circulating cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) in plasma samples. However, clonal hematopoiesis (CH) mutations affect the accuracy of liquid biopsy for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Here, we integrated landscape of CH mutations in 11,725 pan‐cancer patients of Chinese and explored effects of CH on liquid biopsies in real‐world. We first identified 5933 CHs based on panel sequencing of matched DNA of white blood cell and cfDNA on 301 genes for 5100 patients, in which CH number of patients had positive correlation with their diagnosis age. We observed that canonical genes related to CH, including DNMT3A, TET2, ASXL1, TP53, ATM, CHEK2 and SF3B1, were dominant in the Chinese cohort and 13.29% of CH mutations only appeared in the Chinese cohort compared with the Western cohort. Analysis of CH gene distribution bias indicated that CH tended to appear in genes with functions of tyrosine kinase regulation, PI3K‐Akt signalling and TP53 activity, suggesting unfavourable effects of CH mutations in cancer patients. We further confirmed effect of driver genes carried by CH on somatic mutations in liquid biopsy of cancer patients. Forty‐eight actionable somatic mutations in 17 driver genes were considered CH genes in 92 patients (1.80%) of the Chinese cohort, implying potential impacts of CH on clinical decision‐making. Taken together, this study exhibits strong evidence that gene mutations from CH interfere accuracy of liquid biopsies using cfDNA in cancer diagnosis and treatment in real‐world.
Of education and public policy: Aducanumab
Authors: Lundebjerg Nancy E. , Hollmann Peter A. , Supiano Mark A.
Published: October 2021

See related letter by Padovani et al.
The effectiveness of long Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser alone for treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars versus its combination with bleomycin
Authors: Ramadan Heba , Saber Mahmoud , Salah Manal , Samy Nevien
Published: October 2021

Background and objectives

Pathological scars are benign hyper‐proliferative growths of dermal collagen that causes severe psychological and physical problems. This study was performed to assess and compare safety and clinical efficiency of combined pulsed Nd‐YAG laser and intralesional bleomycin versus pulsed Nd‐YAG laser alone to treat the hypertrophic scars and keloids.

Patients and methods

Randomly, 40 patients with hypertrophic scars or keloids were divided into two groups A and B. Group A were handled by pulsed Nd:YAG laser and intralesional bleomycin while group B were handled by pulsed Nd:YAG laser only. Response was assessed subjectively by clinical imaging and modified Vancouver Scar Scale (mVSS). While for objective evaluation, skin biopsies were taken from volunteer patients before and after treatment, and were examined by Hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E) and Masson trichrome staining.

Results

Our study demonstrated almost complete improvement in 4 (20%) patients, partial improvement in 16 (80%) patients and 0 patient with no improvement in group A. Furthermore, in group B, we demonstrated almost complete improvement in 2 (10%) patients, partial in 14 (70%) patients and no improvement in 4 (20%) patients. Modified Vancouver Scar Scale reduced from 10.15 to 3.5 in group A and from 11.05 to 4.95 in group B. Elastica Masson‐Goldner staining and Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that treatment in both groups structurally changed tissue collagen.

Conclusion

Long‐pulsed Nd‐YAG laser combined with intralesional bleomycin could be a promising way for treatment of keloids or hypertrophic scars.
Alexithymia in diabetes patients: its relationship with perceived social support and glycaemic control
Authors: Celik Selda , Taskin Yilmaz Feride , Yurtsever Celik Sultan , Anataca Gulden , Bulbul Elif
Published: October 2021

Aim and Objective

This study was conducted to assess whether there is an association between alexithymia in patients with diabetes and the levels of perceived social support and glycaemic control.

Background

In the literature, whether inadequate perceived social support is a cause or effect of alexithymia has also not been clearly explained. It is stated that it is difficult to determine from where these contradictions arise, and there is a need for more studies on this topic.

Method

This cross‐sectional and correlational study included 537 patients with type I and type 2 diabetes. The data were collected using a Patient Information Form including the patient's HbA1c value that reflected their glycaemic control level, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The study was reported according to the STROBE Declaration.

Results

Among the patients with diabetes, 63.9% showed signs of alexithymia. Alexithymia had a negative relationship with perceived social support and a positive relationship with HbA1c. Additionally, it was determined that the patients who showed signs of alexithymia had lower levels of perceived social support in comparison with those who did not show such signs, whereas the HbA1c levels of the former were also higher than those of the latter. Moreover, it was found that the duration of the disease, HbA1c levels and levels of perceived social support from family and a significant other explained 30% of the total variance in the level of alexithymia.

Conclusion

Alexithymia was seen prevalently among the patients with diabetes, and it was associated with a reduced level of perceived social support and weak glycaemic control.

Relevance to clinical practice: It is recommended to provide patients with psychosocial support in the scope of holistic care and include the individuals who provide care for and support the patient in the patient's management of the disease.
Associations between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults: A systematic review
Authors: Dueren Anna L. , Perach Rotem , Banissy Jasmine F. M. , Bowling Natalie C. , Gregory Alice M. , Banissy Michael J.
Published: October 2021

Prior research suggests that different types of touch can affect sleep, but whether there is a consistent association between tactile intimacy and sleep quality is unclear. Here, we report a pre‐registered systematic review (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO], CRD42020158683) of studies examining the association between tactile intimacy and sleep quality in healthy adults. The databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and EMBASE were searched on August 7, 2020. A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesised qualitatively. Most commonly, articles researched sexual intimacy in relation to sleep quality, but some studies also investigated non‐sexual affective touch and emotionally neutral touch. Some evidence for a connection between sexual function, sexual satisfaction and masturbation with sleep quality was found; however, no evidence for an association between sexual frequency or sexual positions and sleep was found. Interestingly, studies employing more subjective approaches were more likely to report an association between touch and sleep, potentially highlighting a discrepancy between self‐reported and the objectively measurable association between touch and sleep.
Do self‐ratings of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index reflect actigraphy recordings of sleep quality or variability? An exploratory study of bipolar disorders versus healthy controls
Authors: Etain Bruno , Krane‐Gartiser Karoline , Hennion Vincent , Meyrel Manon , Scott Jan
Published: October 2021

Sleep disturbances are typical symptoms of acute episodes of bipolar disorder (BD) and differentiate euthymic BD cases from healthy controls (HC). Researchers often employ objective recordings to evaluate sleep patterns, such as actigraphy, whilst clinicians often use subjective ratings, such as the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). As evidence suggests the measures may disagree, we decided to compare subjective (PSQI) and objective (3 weeks of actigraphy) sleep profiles in BD cases and HC (n = 154). We examined whether a dimensional approach helps to illustrate different patterns of sleep disturbances and whether the concordance between subjective and objective recordings varies according to clinical status (BD versus HC). Principal component analysis (PCA) extracted two factors from the PSQI, and separate PCAs of actigraphy recordings extracted two factors for mean values of sleep parameters and one factor for intra‐individual variability. Correlational and linear regression analyses of PCA‐derived dimensions demonstrated that, in both BD and HC, a PSQI “Sleep duration‐efficiency” factor was significantly correlated with an actigraphy “Sleep initiation‐duration” factor. Furthermore, in BD cases only, the PSQI total score and a PSQI “Sleep Impairments” factor were each significantly correlated with an actigraphy “Sleep Variability” factor. Overall, we found that subjective experiences of sleep may be modulated by different components of objectively recorded sleep in BD compared with HC. Also, the use of PCA enabled us to consider the multi‐dimensional nature of subjective sleep, whilst the inclusion of intra‐individual sleep variability afforded a more subtle evaluation of objective sleep.
Outcomes of adjunctive radiation therapy for the treatment of mast cell tumors in dogs and assessment of toxicity: A multicenter observational study of 300 dogs
Authors: Mason Sarah L. , Pittaway Charles , Gil Begona Pons , Russak Onne‐Marju , Westlake Katie , Berlato Davide , Benoit Jérôme , Morris Joanna , Dobson Jane Margaret
Published: October 2021

Background

Radiation therapy is commonly used as an adjunct to incomplete surgical excision in dogs with mast cell tumors (MCT), but the optimal dose and fractionation regimen have yet to be determined.

Hypothesis

We assessed outcomes (time to local recurrence, patient survival and toxicity) of a large population of dogs with MCT that received adjunctive radiation therapy.

Animals

Three hundred dogs with 302 MCT treated using adjunctive radiation therapy.

Methods

Retrospective observational study. Clinical records of 4 veterinary radiation centers were reviewed.

Results

Local recurrence rates were similar regardless of radiation protocol with 6.6% of patients developing recurrent cutaneous MCT at a median of 526 days. Local recurrence rate was similar between high and low‐risk MCT. Mast cell tumor related death was reported in 19% of all dogs, with 13% of dogs with low‐risk MCT dying of their disease compared to 29% of dogs with high‐risk MCT. No SC MCT (SCMCT) recurred after radiation therapy and only 7% of dogs with SCMCT were reported to have died of their disease. Mild late toxicity was common in both protocols and severe late toxicity occurred in 1.9% of dogs many years after treatment.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Our study supports the use of adjunctive radiation for the long‐term control of incompletely or narrowly excised cutaneous and SCMCT in dogs. More moderate dose and fractionation protocols may be appropriate in the adjunctive treatment of low‐risk MCT in dogs. Large multicenter prospective studies are required to establish the optimal dose and fractionation for MCT of different risk categories.
Cooling rates and impact histories of group IAB and other IAB complex iron meteorites inferred from zoned taenite and the cloudy zone
Authors: Goldstein Joseph I. , Scott Edward R. D. , Winfield Timothy B. , Yang Jijin
Published: October 2021

Metallographic cooling rates of 10–20 K Myr−1 were obtained for four IAB iron meteorites from electron probe analyses of taenite and models simulating kamacite growth. Cooling rates were also determined for 21 irons in the IAB complex from the size of tetrataenite particles in the cloudy zone and a calibration curve using data for the four IAB irons and five other iron and stony iron groups. We find that the closely related IAB main group, low‐Au subgroups, Pitts grouplet irons, and San Cristobal cooled through 500 °C at 10–35 K Myr−1. The ungrouped IAB complex irons, Santa Catharina and Twin City, have bulk Ni contents of ~30 wt% and cooled much faster at ~200–1000 K Myr−1, most probably in a different parent body. Our cooling rates and observations allow conflicting interpretations of the nature of the low‐Ni phase in the cloudy zone to be reconciled. We infer that in fast cooled irons like Santa Catharina, the low‐Ni phase transforms to antitaenite, but in very slowly cooled meteorites like mesosiderites, martensite forms instead. In meteorites with intermediate cooling rates like IAB irons, the bulk of the cloudy zone probably contains antitaenite as the low‐Ni phase, but in the coarse region next to tetrataenite, martensite is present. Published isotopic ages show that metal–silicate mixing in group IAB irons occurred ~5–10 Myr after CAI formation, but the nature and timing of the impact are poorly constrained at present. Ar‐Ar ages testify to shock reheating of plagioclase during cooling over ~100 Myr. However, the cloudy zone is well preserved showing that metal was not heated significantly by shocks after slow cooling through 400 °C.
High adherence and its influencing factors on multiple micronutrient powders (MNPs)
Authors: Liu Rong , Ye Ruixue , Leng Fangqun , Sun Chang , Wang Qingzhi , Zhou Huan
Published: October 2021

Adherence to home fortification of foods with multiple micronutrient powders (MNPs) is an essential indicator of effective implementation of MNP programmes. A meta‐analysis was conducted to evaluate the high adherence rate (HAR) to MNPs and further investigate the factors that influence HAR. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE (OVID), Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang and VP, from the date of database inception to 9 November 2020. We included peer‐reviewed observational studies that investigated adherence to MNPs. Data on the HAR to MNPs and influencing factors on HAR were extracted and then pooled together. A total of 10 studies were included. The pooled HAR to MNPs was 63.28% (51.12%–74.64%). Among HARs, rates were higher in middle‐income countries (65.21%) than low‐income countries (55.23%). Parental age over 30 years (maternal age OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.08–1.44; paternal age OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04–1.32), children aged 18–36 months (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.12–1.88), maternal educational attainment of college or above (OR = 1.38, 95% CI:1.10–1.73), caregiver with the perception that other mothers use MNPs (OR = 1.52, 95% CI:1.19–1.95), caregiver being aware of the importance of iron (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.18–1.71), caregiver having correct knowledge of MNPs (OR = 1.36, 95% CI:1.19–1.57) and caregiver reporting children have no side effects from MNPs (OR = 2.77, 95% CI: 2.46–3.11) were contributing factors to high adherence to MNPs. The overall HAR to MNPs was relatively low; hence, effective and trusted communication channels need to be established, along with more thorough dissemination of the knowledge of MNPs to caregivers, to improve MNPs adherence rates, especially in low‐income countries.
A bioinformatic platform to integrate target capture and whole genome sequences of various read depths for phylogenomics
Authors: G. Ribeiro Pedro , Torres Jiménez María Fernanda , Andermann Tobias , Antonelli Alexandre , Bacon Christine D. , Matos‐Maraví Pável
Published: October 2021

The increasing availability of short‐read whole genome sequencing (WGS) provides unprecedented opportunities to study ecological and evolutionary processes. Although loci of interest can be extracted from WGS data and combined with target sequence data, this requires suitable bioinformatic workflows. Here, we test different assembly and locus extraction strategies and implement them into secapr, a pipeline that processes short‐read data into multilocus alignments for phylogenetics and molecular ecology analyses. We integrate the processing of data from low‐coverage WGS (<30×) and target sequence capture into a flexible framework, while optimizing de novo contig assembly and loci extraction. Specifically, we test different assembly strategies by contrasting their ability to recover loci from targeted butterfly protein‐coding genes, using four data sets: a WGS data set across different average coverages (10×, 5× and 2×) and a data set for which these loci were enriched prior to sequencing via target sequence capture. Using the resulting de novo contigs, we account for potential errors within contigs and infer phylogenetic trees to evaluate the ability of each assembly strategy to recover species relationships. We demonstrate that choosing multiple sizes of kmer simultaneously for assembly results in the highest yield of extracted loci from de novo assembled contigs, while data sets derived from sequencing read depths as low as 5× recovers the expected species relationships in phylogenetic trees. By making the tested assembly approaches available in the secapr pipeline, we hope to inspire future studies to incorporate complementary data and make an informed choice on the optimal assembly strategy.
Trisetopsis pirpanjalensis and Tzveleviochloa yadavii (Poaceae: Aveninae), two new oat‐like perennial grass species from India
Authors: Prasad Dileshwar , Tripathi Shailja , Jaiswal Shubham , Yadav Rekha , Agnihotri Priyanka
Published: October 2021

Trisetopsis pirpanjalensis and Tzveleviochloa yadavii, discovered during fieldwork in Western Himalaya, are described and illustrated here as the two first new species after the segregation of genera from Helictotrichon. Trisetopsis pirpanjalensis is similar to Trisetopsis virescens but differs in circumscription of ligule, panicle and spikelet whereas Tzveleviochloa yadavii is closely allied to Tzveleviochloa parviflora but differs in morphological characters of panicle and spikelet. Besides, we provided data on habitats, distribution, illustrations, photo plates along with relevant taxonomic notes for each species.
Act‐type theories of propositions
Authors: Hodgson Thomas
Published: October 2021

Many philosophers believe in things, propositions, which are the things that we believe, assert etc., and which are the contents of sentences. The act‐type theory of propositions is an attempt to say what propositions are, to explain how we stand in relations to them, and to explain why they are true or false. The core idea of the act‐type theory is that propositions are types of acts of predication. The theory is developed in various ways to offer explanations of the important properties of propositions. I present the core idea of the theory, and some developments of it. I discuss the relationship between the theory and the content–force distinction. I also present an important type of objection that has been raised to the explanations offered by the act‐type theory.
A community engagement strategy to sustain safe drinking water in Guatemala
Authors: Holt Brooks N. , Larson Kim L. , Melendez Carlos R.
Published: October 2021

Objective

We sought to examine a community engagement (CE) strategy, defined as a monetary contribution, on water filter usage

Design

A natural, quasi‐experimental study was conducted in Guatemala following the distribution of water filters. Households in the 2014–2015 group (free water filter) were compared with households in the 2018–2019 group (CE strategy: US$5.50 for water filter)

Sample

One‐year post‐distribution, the comparison group (n = 56) and intervention group (n = 38) completed a survey on family health and water filter use

Results

Households in the CE group had almost five times higher odds (OR = 4.7, p = .022) of having a working water filter 1 year later. Using a multivariable logistic regression model, the single best predictor to explain working water filters was the CE strategy

Conclusions

CE strategies that support ownership and dignity might sustain public health initiatives, in conjunction with collaborative international partnerships. Future research could include linking villages with local and international organizations that support safe drinking water initiatives.
Aldehyde dehydrogenase 3I1gene is recruited in conferring multiple abiotic stress tolerance in plants
Authors: Raza H. , Khan M. R. , Zafar S. A. , Kirch H. H. , Bartles D.
Published: October 2021

Plant growth and productivity is restricted by a multitude of abiotic stresses. These stresses negatively affect physiological and metabolic pathways, leading to the production of many harmful substances like ROS, lipid peroxides and aldehydes. This study was conducted to investigate the role ofArabidopsis ALDH3I1gene in multiple abiotic stress tolerance.

Transgenic tobacco plants were generated that overexpress theALDH3I1gene driven by the CaMV35S promoter and evaluated under different abiotic stresses, namely salt, drought, cold and oxidative stress. Tolerance to stress was evaluated based on responses of various growth and physiological traits under stress condition.

Transgenic plants displayed elevatedALDH3I1transcript levels compared to WT plants. The constitutive ectopic expression ofALDH3I1conferred increased tolerance to salt, drought, cold and oxidative stresses in transgenic plants, along with improved plant growth. Transgenic plants overexpressingALDH3I1had higher chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate and proline, and less accumulation of ROS and malondialdehyde compared to the WT, which contributed to stress tolerance in transgenic plants. Our results further revealed thatALDH3I1had a positive effect on CO2assimilation rate in plants under abiotic stress conditions.

Overall, this study revealed thatALDH3I1positively regulates abiotic stress tolerance in plants, and has future implications in producing transgenic cereal and horticultural plants tolerant to abiotic stresses.
Contraceptive Method Skew in India 1992–2016: Analysis Using a New Method Skew Index
Authors: Chaurasia Aalok Ranjan
Published: October 2021

This paper analyses method skew in India over more than two decades using a new method skew index. The analysis reveals clear regional pattern in method skew in the country. In north and east regions of the country, method skew is average and below average, but it is high or very high in the south region. We investigate roles of such factors as poverty, education, social class, and religion in deciding the method skew at the district level using the classification modeling approach and find that the roles of these factors are different in different regions of the country. An important finding of the analysis is that there is a positive correlation between the degree of the method skew and contraceptive prevalence at the district level.
CT characteristics and proposed scoring scheme are predictive of pathologic fracture in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy
Authors: Martin Tiffany Wormhoudt , LaRue Susan M. , Griffin Lynn
Published: October 2021

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is an established limb‐sparing treatment for dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma (OSA) and pathologic fractures are a common sequela. The objectives of this retrospective, observational, and descriptive study were to develop and evaluate objective CT criteria for predicting pathologic fractures and assess impacts on survival time. Included dogs had confirmed or suspected appendicular OSA, available CT scans, available outcome data, and were treated with SBRT. For each study, the number of quartiles affected by lysis on the most severely affected transverse slice, longest measurable length of contiguous full cortical lysis, presence of subchondral bone lysis, and ratio of the length of the affected bone to normal bone were recorded. A scoring system was developed for assigning grades (summed score 1‐4 = grade 1, 5‐7 = grade 2, and 8 or greater = grade 3.) A total of 127 CT datasets were sampled (123 patients). The median summed score was 7. The grade was correlated with pathologic fracture development (23% of grade 1, 35% of grade 2, and 57% of grade 3 resulting in fracture, P = 0.028). Subchondral bone lysis was correlated with fracture (odds ratio, 2.2, P = 0.02). Percent affected bone ≥40% was associated with decreased survival (P = 0.002). Dogs with <40% of affected bone had a median survival of 256 days versus 178 days for dogs with ≥40% affected bone. Findings from the current study can be used to assist in determining prognosis and planning radiation therapy for future dogs affected by appendicular OSA.
Script Structures in Modern Audio-Visual Art
Authors: Balaban Oleksandr , Levchenko Olena , Krupskyy Ivan , Medvedieva Alla , Mykhalov Volodymyr
Published: October 2021

Every last detail in a work of art of any scale depends on the correctness of its construction. This study reveals the essence of audio-visual text as an artistic area that develops and operates in the modern media landscape. The problem of determining the structure of the audio-visual script at the present stage of development was one of the most significant issues addressed in this study. The purpose of the study is to explore the main stages of creating a script for an audio-visual work as an intricate complex object that is the result of creative and production activities. The primary research method was the method of analysis, which managed to achieve the goal of discussing the current stages of creating and structuring the script of an audio-visual work. The task of compositional construction of the script for an audio-visual work is to unite its elements into one, giving the future work logic, harmony, and integrity. It was established which modern methods of writing a script are the most effective in practice. It was concluded that the use of modern methods of structuring the script in creating an audio-visual product contributes to its improvement as a work of art. The practical significance of the study is that the methodological basis of creating the script presented in this study can be used to construct any audio-visual product.
Piezoelectret Based Energy Harvesting From Human Body Motions With Respect to Implementation of Self-Powering Wearable Devices
Authors: Park Y. J. , Seipel B. , Holzmann H.
Published: October 2021

Energy harvesting from human body motion has been investigated extensively in the last two decades due to the increasing demand for Smart Wearables. Smart Wearables are beneficial in terms of daily monitoring of vital parameters and early recognition of diseases. However, continuous and close-meshed monitoring in daily life is often facing the obstacle of limited energy storage. Integrated sensors and electronics of Smart Wearables may be powered in a conventional manner by energy storage. But energy storage such as battery is subject to restrictions as limited lifetime and charging process. Thus, the development of self-powering Smart Wearables is highly promising. The conversion of human body motion into electrical energy is significant for the identification of medical application areas.

Investigations on energy harvesting from human body motion is facing limitations such as low frequency range of body motion, low accelerations as well as wearing comfort. Numerous studies address the use of piezoelectric ceramics for energy harvesting. However, the high mass density and the high modulus of elasticity limit energy harvester designs based on piezoelectric ceramics to rather heavy wearables. In terms of lightweight designs, polymers such as PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) have been considered as functional materials in several researches but these materials are disadvantageous regarding energy efficiency. Auspicious functional materials for energy harvesting from body motion are piezoelectric electrets (piezoelectrets, also referred to as ferroelectrets) due to their high piezoelectric coefficients and low mass density. Piezoelectrets facilitate the implementation of lightweight energy harvester designs with high output power that is advantageous for applications in context of Smart Wearables. In particular, fluorethylpolypropylene (FEP) piezoelectrets with parallel-tunnel structures are promising generators for energy harvesting. Within the present work, a novel design of parallel-tunnel FEP energy harvester in 31-mode is introduced and validated by means of an experimental setup.
Generation of Travelling Waves Using Tracking Control Method
Authors: Bhayadia Amit , Olivett Anthony , Singh Tarunraj , Karami M. Amin
Published: October 2021

Travelling wave patterns observed in the movement of certain aquatic animals has motivated research in the modification of flow behavior, especially to deal with boundary layer separation in airplane plane wings. Research has shown that inducing travelling waves on the top surface of the wing can generate sufficient momentum to prevent boundary layer separation without increasing the drag. Due to this interesting property, generation of travelling waves on solid surfaces is being widely studied. Recently methods such as two-mode excitation, active sink and impedance matching have shown promise in generation of uniform travelling waves in solids with the help of piezo electric actuators. Unfortunately, there are some challenges involved in the experimental application of these methods. These open loop methods require exact knowledge of the system dynamics therefore, uncertainties in the system dynamics can affect the uniformity and the amplitude of the travelling waves. Some methods rely on selective mode excitation, which can cause interference from unwanted modes if the transient behavior of the system is not accounted. A tracking control method is proposed that augments the open-loop piezo actuation method (two-mode excitation) and provides a more robust method for generating uniform travelling waves. The periodic signal tracking control method drives the output of the temporal part of the distributed parameter system to a desirable output. In addition, the controller alters the reference signal such that the parasitic behavior of unnecessary modes is cancelled out. The combination of the mode suppression and signal tracking deals with the challenges of the piezo actuation methods and add to its performance by improving the quality of the generated wave.
Numerical Studies on the Dynamic Characteristics of Series-Connected Multistable Laminates
Authors: Anilkumar P. M. , Rao B. N. , Scheffler S. , Rolfes R. , Haldar A. , Jansen E. L.
Published: October 2021

Multistable morphing structures have gained considerable attention over the past three decades due to their ability to efficiently work in various operating conditions. Unsymmetrical laminates, which yields two stable equilibrium shapes due to the residual thermal stresses, are widely investigated to produce multistable structures. Even though cured shapes of unsymmetrical laminates are promising candidates for the design of morphing structural components, they may not fulfil all the requirements of a continuous morphing structure requiring more than two stable states during the morphing action. As a solution to achieve more than two stable configurations, series-connected unsymmetrical laminates are proposed in the present analysis. Connecting different bistable laminates results in multiple stable configurations at the end of the curing process, which is often desired in continuous shape-changing applications. The snap-through process involving shape transition between the generated stable shapes is highly nonlinear in nature. Since morphing aerospace structures are often subjected to severe dynamic excitation, large-amplitude nonlinear vibrations are inevitable during the snap-through transition. This work aims to explore the dynamic characteristic of multistable continuous composite plates generated by connecting bistable laminates without any external fixing aids. The proposed numerical analysis is carried out within a commercially available finite element package, ABAQUS. The effect of aspect ratios, laminate layups and actuation loads on the dynamic characteristic (natural frequencies and mode shapes) are reported from systematic parametric studies. The proposed model is further extended to predict the nonlinear characteristics of single well vibration and cross well vibration.