bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social Vulnerability and Biological Aging in New York City: An Electronic Health Records-Based Study
Authors: Knobel Pablo , Colicino Elena , Klog Itai , Litke Rachel , Lane Kevin , Federman Alex , Mobbs Charles , Sade Maayan Yitshak
Published: July 2024

Chronological age is not an accurate predictor of morbidity and mortality risk, as individuals’ aging processes are diverse. Phenotypic age acceleration (PhenoAgeAccel) is a validated biological age measure incorporating chronological age and biomarkers from blood samples commonly used in clinical practice that can better reflect aging-related morbidity and mortality risk. The heterogeneity of age-related decline is not random, as environmental exposures can promote or impede healthy aging. Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) is a composite index accounting for different facets of the social, economic, and demographic environment grouped into four themes: socioeconomic status, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing and transportation. We aim to assess the concurrent and combined associations of the four SVI themes on PhenoAgeAccel and the differential effects on disadvantaged groups. We use electronic health records data from 31,913 patients from the Mount Sinai Health System (116,952 person-years) and calculate PhenoAge for years with available laboratory results (2011-2022). PhenoAge is calculated as a weighted linear combination of lab results and PhenoAgeAccel is the differential between PhenoAge and chronological age. A decile increase in the mixture of SVI dimensions was associated with an increase of 0.23 years (95% CI: 0.21, 0.25) in PhenoAgeAccel. The socioeconomic status dimension was the main driver of the association, accounting for 61% of the weight. Interaction models revealed a more substantial detrimental association for women and racial and ethnic minorities with differences in leading SVI themes. These findings suggest that neighborhood-level social vulnerability increases the biological age of its residents, increasing morbidity and mortality risks. Socioeconomic status has the larger detrimental role amongst the different facets of social environment.
Membrane Curvature Promotes ER-PM Contact Formation via Junctophilin-EHD Interactions
Authors: Yang Yang , Valencia Luis A. , Lu Chih-Hao , Nakamoto Melissa L. , Tsai Ching-Ting , Liu Chun , Yang Huaxiao , Zhang Wei , Jahed Zeinab , Lee Wan-Ru , Santoro Francesca , Liou Jen , Wu Joseph C. , Cui Bianxiao
Published: July 2024

Contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM) play a crucial role in governing calcium regulation and lipid homeostasis. Despite their significance, the factors regulating their spatial distribution on the PM remain elusive. Inspired by observations in cardiomyocytes, where ER-PM contact sites concentrate on tubular PM invaginations known as transverse tubules (T-tubules), we hypothesize that the PM curvature plays a role in ER-PM contact formation. Through precise control of PM invaginations, we show that PM curvatures locally induce the formation of ER-PM contacts in cardiomyocytes. Intriguingly, the junctophilin family of ER-PM tethering proteins, specifically expressed in excitable cells, is the key player in this process, while the ubiquitously expressed extended synaptotagmin 2 does not show a preference for PM curvature. At the mechanistic level, we find that the low complexity region (LCR) and the MORN motifs of junctophilins can independently bind to the PM, but both the LCR and MORN motifs are required for targeting PM curvatures. By examining the junctophilin interactome, we identify a family of curvature-sensing proteins, Eps15-homology domain containing proteins (EHDs), that interact with the MORN_LCR motifs and facilitate junctophilins’ preferential tethering to curved PM. These findings highlight the pivotal role of PM curvature in the formation of ER-PM contacts in cardiomyocytes and unveil a novel mechanism for the spatial regulation of ER-PM contacts through PM curvature modulation.
A Markovian neural barcode representing mesoscale cortical spatiotemporal dynamics
Authors: Culp Jordan M , Ashby Donovan M , George Antis G , Teskey G. Campbell , Nicola Wilten , McGirr Alexander
Published: July 2024

Mesoscale cortical dynamics consist of stereotyped patterns of recurring activity motifs, however the constraints and rules governing how these motifs assemble over time is not known. Here we propose a Continuous Time Markov Chain model that probabilistically describes the temporal sequence of activity motifs using Markov Elements derived using semi-binary non-negative matrix factorization. Although derived from a discovery sample, these can be applied to new recordings from new mice. Unwrapping the associated transition probability matrix creates a ‘Markovian neural barcode’ describing the probability of Markov element transitions as a compact and interpretable representation of neocortical dynamics. We show broad utility across a range of common mesoscale cortical imaging applications, ranging from time-locked events to pathological models. Moreover, it allows the discovery of new and emergent Markov Elements that unmask the flexibility of constraints governing cortical dynamics. The Markovian neural barcode provides a novel and powerful tool to characterize cortical function.
Enterobactin and Salmochelin S4 inhibit the growth ofStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Davidov Yaacov , Tejman-Yarden Noa , Robinson Ari , Rahav Galia , Nissan Israel
Published: July 2024

There is increasing demand for novel antimicrobial agents to tackle the antimicrobial resistance crisis. Here we report that twoEnterobacteriaceae-produced siderophores, enterobactin and salmochelin S4, inhibit the growth ofStaphylococcus aureusisolates, including methicillin-resistanceS. aureus(MRSA) clinical isolates. The MIC50for differentS. aureusisolates were 2-5 μM for salmochelin S4 and 5-10 μM for enterobactin. This inhibitory activity was partially repressed by adding Fe+3. These siderophores also inhibited the growth ofEnterococcusstrains, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) clinical isolates, though less effectively than forS. aureus. The growth of various Gram-negative bacteria was barely affected by these siderophores. These results shed new light on the role of enterobactin and salmochelin in bacterial physiology and ecology and have potential for the development of novel strategies to combat the rapid rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Magneto-optical Hall response in generic Weyl semimetals
Authors: Stålhammar Marcus
Published: July 2024

Weyl semimetals are predicted to host signature magneto-optical properties sourced by their peculiar Landau-level structure, including the chiral level. Analytical studies are often leaving out the Hall component of the conductivity due to its complicated nature, and even though the chiral anomaly requires Weyl nodes to come in charge-conjugate pairs, toy models hosting only one node are considered almost exclusively; numerical studies including several Weyl nodes are, on the other hand, often limited to high-field quantum limits or dc studies. Here, we present a twofold purpose study, where we (a) analytically derive a closed-form expression also for the Hall conductivity of a generic Weyl semimetal using linear response theory and (b) apply this general framework to evaluate the transverse conductivity components for Weyl systems with two nodes. We study how various model parameters, including the tilt, momentum separation, and energy location of the nodes, as well as the chemical potential, affect the magneto-optical conductivity, and complement these studies by deriving an analytical expression for the dc Hall conductivity, which is also evaluated in various systems. Including a chiral pair of nodes results in two important differences compared to earlier studies: the contribution from the chiral level is equal in size but opposite at the two nodes, making the net contribution disappear, and the energy scales at which intraband transitions occur is smeared out and approaches that of interband transitions, strengthening the hypothesis that intraband transitions mask signature optical features in materials. This general formalism can be applied to a large family of generic Weyl semimetals, and comprise an important piece towards unravelling the source of the mismatch between theoretical predictions and experimental observations in candidate materials.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Early intervention for children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions and intellectual disability: “The Getting Help” offer for Northwest England
Authors: Wee Christine , Jaydeokar Sujeet , Ugwuonah Chinemerem , Armstrong Leanne , Odiyoor Mahesh
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline what early support should be offered to children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions including those who are autistic or have intellectual disability. A review of all child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) services in the Northwest completed by NHS England and Improvement (Doyle and Ryan, 2021) found that there was no clear Tier 2 offer (for mild to moderate mental health issues) for autistic children and young people or for those with intellectual disability. Following this review, a project group that had developed a model for mental health services for autistic children and young people and for those with intellectual disability (Wee et al., 2021) was tasked with articulating the “Getting Help” offer for children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions, including intellectual disability.

Design/methodology/approach

A working group was created consisting of professionals from mental health, education and local authority and lived experience representatives of coproduction partners. A brief review of the background literature was also conducted. Six meetings were held to create a framework for the “Getting Help” offer and to discuss what the offer should be based on professional expertise and lived experience.

Findings

Recommendations for the Getting Help multi-agency offer included pre- and post-assessment support as part of a single attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/autism/neurodevelopmental pathway, community support for children with intellectual disability, access to adapted mental health support and the need for early recognition and support for avoidant and restrictive food intake disorder. Key themes from working group discussions included the reduction in the quality of services experienced by children and families due to silo working, which increased the risk of falling between multi-agency services and led to early signs of neurodevelopmental needs, or mental health issues being missed. Another theme was aiming for equity of access and outcomes.

Originality/value

This work is a response to a coproduced review of CAMHS in the Northwest and incorporates the lived experience of young people and families. It also adopts a holistic multi-agency neurodevelopmental approach rather than focusing on a single diagnosis or service.
Conjugate heat transfer analysis of developing region of square ducts for isothermal and isoflux boundary conditions
Authors: V.P. Chithra , Bakthavatchalam Balaji , J.S. Jayakumar , Habib Khairul , Kusekar Sambhaji Kashinath
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to present a comprehensive analysis of conjugate heat transfer phenomena occurring within the developing region of square ducts under both isothermal and isoflux boundary conditions. The study involves a rigorous numerical investigation, using advanced computational methods to simulate the complex heat exchange interactions between solid structures and surrounding fluid flows. The results of this analysis provide valuable insights into the heat transfer characteristics of such systems and contribute to a deeper understanding of fluid–thermal interactions in duct flows.

Design/methodology/approach

The manuscript outlines a detailed numerical methodology, combining computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis, to accurately model the conjugate heat transfer process. This approach ensures both the thermal behaviour of the solid walls and the fluid flow dynamics are well captured.

Findings

The results presented in the manuscript reveal significant variations in heat transfer characteristics for isothermal and isoflux boundary conditions. These findings have implications for optimizing heat exchangers and enhancing thermal performance in various engineering applications.

Practical implications

The insights gained from this study have the potential to influence the design and optimization of heat exchange systems, contributing to advancements in energy efficiency and engineering practices.

Originality/value

The research introduces a novel approach to study conjugate heat transfer in square ducts, particularly focusing on the developing region. This unique perspective offers fresh insights into heat transfer mechanisms that were previously not thoroughly explored.
Do firms’ performance act as a catalyst of innovation: empirical evidence from innovative Indian manufacturing firms
Authors: Chetia Pompi , Behera Smruti Ranjan
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to explore whether firms’ performance determines innovation using a sample of Indian manufacturing firms. The impact of innovation on firms’ performance across specific countries has been discussed in the literature. However, the effect of firms’ performance on innovation output, especially for a developing country like India, remains an open question. Against this backdrop, this paper investigates whether firms’ performance determines innovation in Indian manufacturing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use patent filing information to instrument innovation and total factor productivity to instrument firms’ performance. The patent data are collected from the Patent Search and Analysis Software database and firm-level data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy’s Prowess database. The study uses a sample of 309 Indian manufacturing firms from 2005 to 2021. Given the count nature of the data set used in this study coupled with over-dispersion issues, the authors have used the negative binomial regression to estimate the empirical specification of the models. There could be a possible problem of endogeneity due to the contemporary nature of innovation and firms’ performance. Therefore, to address the possible issues of endogeneity in the model, the authors have used the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimators for more robustness checks of the empirical results.

Findings

The empirical results exhibit a positive and significant impact of firms’ performance on the innovation output, validating that firms’ performance determines innovation in Indian manufacturing firms. The posterior estimation results using GMM estimation also corroborate that firms’ productivity is a determining factor for the innovation output of Indian manufacturing firms. Furthermore, empirical results exhibit that the ex ante innovativeness of the firms substantially affects the current innovation. This validates that the firms’ prior experience, learning by doing and past innovative efforts are more likely to precipitate more innovation in the current period.

Originality/value

This paper’s main contribution is empirically estimating whether firms’ performance determines innovation, which is hardly discussed in the existing innovation literature, specifically using Indian manufacturing industries. Further, it adds to the existing literature in two other prominent ways. First, this paper investigates whether firms require ex ante expertise to innovate or if a firm starting from scratch can innovate significantly without any hindrances. Second, it enriches the literature by instrumenting innovation in output terms with the patent application against input measures of innovation, such as research and development expenditures, acquisition of machinery and equipment, while discussing the relationship between firms’ performance and innovation, specifically in the context of a developing economy like India.
Effects of educational technology intervention on creative thinking in educational settings: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zaremohzzabieh Zeinab , Ahrari Seyedali , Abdullah Haslinda , Abdullah Rusli , Moosivand Mahboobeh
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to meta-analytically investigate the impact of educational technology interventions on the development of creative thinking in educational settings. In recent years, the debate among researchers has persisted regarding the impact of various educational technologies, including interactive learning environments, digital instruction and platforms, and educational games and robotics, on students' creative thinking in diverse educational settings due to inconsistent findings.

Design/methodology/approach

This study, conducting a meta-analysis by synthesizing 35 relevant empirical studies with 2,776 participants, aims to investigate the association between educational technology interventions and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) and its subscales (fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration).

Findings

No evident publication bias was found. From a general perspective, the results demonstrate a moderate level of influence of educational technology on the overall TTCT scale, with high heterogeneity attributed to the adopted instruments, mixed methods and target outcomes. Additionally, the results indicate that only three of the TTCT subscales (fluency, flexibility and originality) are influenced by educational technologies. Among the interventions, interactive learning environments yielded medium to the largest mean effect size. Furthermore, moderator analyses suggest that the effects of interventions on two subscales of TTCT (flexibility and originality) are moderated by school types, research design and the duration of intervention. The conclusion drawn is that interventions promoting students' creative thinking in different educational settings are efficacious.

Originality/value

Despite the low homogeneity of the results, which might have influenced the findings, the large fail-safe N suggests that these findings are robust. The study examined potential causes of heterogeneity and emphasized the importance of further research in this area.
Elementary education outcome efficiency of Indian state governments: a generalized stochastic frontier approach
Authors: Rosario Jyotsna , Shanmugam K.R.
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the technical efficiency of Indian State governments in providing elementary education (EE) and to identify the determinants of their technical inefficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

The Generalized Stochastic Frontier Approach (GSFA) is used in the context of the Inefficiency Effects Model to simultaneously estimate the frontier production function and the technical inefficiency model. Panel data of 28 Indian States from 2009–10 to 2018–19 is used.

Findings

The mean efficiency of States stands at 86%. Efficiency varied between 67 and 97%. 96% of the inter-state disparity in EE outcomes can be explained by inefficiency. Arunachal Pradesh is the least efficient State, followed by Sikkim and Tripura. Efficiency estimates were observed to change across States over the study period. Proportion of government schools, rural population, and proportion of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe children are the major determinants of inefficiency.

Practical implications

This study emphasizes that efficient resource management is as important as adequate resource allocation for achieving positive EE outcomes. It distinguishes resource-poor States from inefficient ones, providing insights to enhance States’ efficiency, and aiding policymakers in formulating strategies for ensuring equitable and quality EE.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to apply GSFA (for Indian States), providing a more robust estimation of efficiency. The Inefficiency Effects Model is employed that address the limitations inherent in the two-stage approach.
Estimating the causal relationship between external debt and inflation in Jordan: evidence from an ARDL and Toda–Yamamoto approaches
Authors: Sharaf Mesbah Fathy , Shahen Abdelhalem Mahmoud , Binzaid Badr Abdulaziz
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the causal relationship between external debt and inflation in Jordan over the period 1970 to 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

The external debt–inflation nexus is examined within a multivariate framework by including other determinants of inflation, including money supply and the nominal effective exchange rate. This study uses an ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration to test the existence of a long-run relationship between the inflation rate and its drivers. An error correction model is estimated to reveal the short-run dynamics of the series. The direction of causality among the variables is examined using a modified version of the Granger non-causality test due to Toda and Yamamoto (1995). The analyses control for the presence of structural breaks in the underlying time series.

Findings

The empirical results show that external debt and money supply have a statistically significant positive effect on inflation in the long run. The authors also find that a nominal depreciation of the Jordanian Dinar raises inflation rates in the long run. The Toda–Yamamoto Granger non-causality test findings reveal a statistically significant bi-directional positive causality between inflation and external debt, between the nominal effective exchange rate and inflation and between money supply and inflation.

Practical implications

Proper management of the exchange rate policy, money supply and external debt levels is crucial to control inflation rates in Jordan.

Originality/value

To date, the authors are unaware of any empirical study that examines the impact of external debt on inflation in Jordan, and the current study aims to fill this gap in the literature.
Analyzing the impact factors of remanufacturing industry on the Indian economy: a step towards circular economy
Authors: Sharma Vaishali , Katiyar Rajesh , Mishra Ruchi
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to investigate and analyze the interactions between economic and sustainable development elements in the context of remanufacturing in India.

Design/methodology/approach

To comprehend the hierarchical and contextual link among factors impacting remanufacturing in India, the study used interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) methodologies.

Findings

The integrated ISM-DEMATEL approach identifies optimal utilization of the resources as the most crucial factor influencing remanufacturing in India, followed by reducing landfills, conserving energy and low cost. The study also reveals that optimal utilization of resources, reduction of landfills, conservation of energy and incorporated advanced technology impacts most of the factors but get affected by a few factors.

Practical implications

Industry practitioners and policymakers should consider the remanufacturing process to achieve sustainable and economic development. The government and other stakeholders can use the ISM framework and cause-and-effect diagram to classify the impact factors and their impact on the Indian economy and environment.

Social implications

This study supports the process to save the landfills and curbing pollution, conserve energy and optimize utilization of the resources, generate employment and supporting the development of the economy. Remanufacturing will undoubtedly contribute to the development of an environment and economy in India that benefits both.

Originality/value

ISM and DEMATELs strategy offers a tiered model and a cause-and-effect relationship between the variables affecting remanufacturing in India.
Regulative institutions, dynamic managerial capabilities, and strategic entrepreneurial performance
Authors: Bağış Mehmet , Altinay Levent , Saygılı Metin
Published: July 2024

Purpose

This study examines firms' strategic entrepreneurial behaviors based on the interaction of regulatory institutions and entrepreneurs' cognition, human capital, and social capital capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected from 450 exporting companies in Türkiye, which is a developing economy. Smart PLS 4.0 and SPSS 24.0 software were used to analyze the data. The data were examined using structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analysis, average extracted variance, composite reliability, and Cronbach's alpha analyses.

Findings

The findings show that entrepreneurial cognition, social capital, and regulatory institutions influence each other, this relationship is not confirmed in managerial human capital. Moreover, while managerial cognition affects strategic entrepreneurship behavior, this effect was not supported for managerial human capital and managerial social capital. However, it was determined that only entrepreneurial cognition mediates the relationship between regulatory institutions and strategic entrepreneurial behavior.

Originality/value

This research enables entrepreneurs to understand, navigate, and appreciate the significance of the interactions between regulatory institutions and dynamic managerial capabilities in decision-making. Additionally, the study allows policymakers to develop evidence-based policy designs that equip entrepreneurs with the insights needed to succeed in a competitive and regulatory complex environment.
Investigation of the effect of the sandplay therapy in the open area to improve the social behaviour of children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Zelcek Büşra , Pouya Sima
Published: July 2024

Sandplay therapy helps the person develop social skills and acts as a therapy method where they can reflect and repair their inner world. This study aims to test the feasibility of sandplay therapy method in an open area for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and investigate its effect on the development of social skills. In addition, the reorganization of sandplay areas where children with disabilities receive education and treatment, and the introduction of design proposals for integrating them with sandplay therapy in the open area, have been one of the other objectives of this study. The study group of this research, has a quasi‐experimental design in which pre‐test and post‐test measurements are made on the experimental groups of children between the ages of 8 and 12 years with autism diagnosed were formed. This research consisted of five stages: the planning of the study, the implementation phase, the post‐tests, the analysis of the data and the explanation of the design proposals. As a result of the studies conducted on children with ASD, increasing their interaction with society contributed to the development of children with autism socially and psychologically. In this context, group sand therapy was applied to the experimental groups for 7 weeks, one session a week and a total of seven sessions of two children with autism were selected using the selective assignment method. The effect of open area sandplay therapy method on the development of autistic‐disabled people was compared with the values taken before and after the sandplay therapy sessions. The findings revealed that increasing interaction with society contributed to the development of children with ASD socially and psychologically. In addition, the development of suggestions for the design of barrier‐free sandplay areas and the evaluation of the connection between sandplay therapy and design in the open area was made.
Embracing uncertainty: porous and actionable responses to climate change at the borders of Indigenous and scientific expertise(s) in Siberia
Authors: Ulturgasheva Olga , Stelmaszyk Mally
Published: July 2024

This article explores uncertainty as an onto‐epistemological concept that reveals integrative capacities of Indigenous and scientific knowledge. Looking at official scientific approaches to climate change in Russia, it traces how Indigenous peoples in Siberia navigate their lives as they continue to witness anthropogenic causes of climatic degradation intertwined with forceful denial of Indigenous needs and sociopolitical turbulence. By focusing on two ethnographic accounts involving Indigenous Eveny and Nanai, the article explores how uncertainty, and in particular environmental uncertainty, can be dealt with, acted upon, and deployed productively while broadening our understandings of vulnerability, agency, and resilience. Drawing on discrete Indigenous strategies of hariok among Nanai and nyamnin among Eveny, the analysis reveals a pathway to think about adaptive potentialities of uncertainty as a mode of responding to rapidly shifting environmental and sociopolitical conditions.
Rapid automatised naming is related to reading and arithmetic for different reasons in Chinese: Evidence from Hong Kong third graders
Authors: Liu Duo , Wang Lei , Wong Terry Tin‐Yau , Joshi R. Malatesha
Published: July 2024

Background

Rapid automatised naming (RAN) has been found to predict children's reading and arithmetic abilities. However, the underlying mechanisms for its involvement in the two abilities are not clear. This study examines how RAN shared variances with domain‐general and domain‐specific abilities in predicting reading and arithmetic in Chinese children.

Methods

One hundred and sixty‐four children (mean age = 8 years 0 months, SD = 4 months) were administered with RAN tasks, word reading and arithmetic tasks and measures of working memory, processing speed, morphological awareness, phonological awareness and number line estimation.

Results

RAN mainly shared variance with morphological awareness in predicting word reading, while it shared variance with processing speed and number line estimation in predicting arithmetic calculation.

Conclusions

The findings indicated that RAN was related to reading and arithmetic for different reasons. The RAN–reading relationship partly reflected the semantic facilitation of the orthography–phonology links for both RAN stimuli and Chinese characters, while the RAN–arithmetic relationship partly reflected the shared process of retrieving semantic information from long‐term memory embedded in the two tasks.
Single‐cell sequencing unveils the impact of aging on the progenitor cell diversity in the telencephalon of the female killifish N. furzeri
Authors: Ayana Rajagopal , Zandecki Caroline , Van houcke Jolien , Mariën Valerie , Seuntjens Eve , Arckens Lutgarde
Published: July 2024

The African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri) combines a short lifespan with spontaneous age‐associated loss of neuro‐regenerative capacity, an intriguing trait atypical for a teleost. The impact of aging on the cellular composition of the adult stem cell niches, leading to this dramatic decline in the postnatal neuro‐ and gliogenesis, remains elusive. Single‐cell RNA sequencing of the telencephalon of young adult female killifish of the short‐lived GRZ‐AD strain unveiled progenitors of glial and non‐glial nature, different excitatory and inhibitory neuron subtypes, as well as non‐neural cell types. Sub‐clustering of the progenitors identified four radial glia (RG) cell types, two non‐glial progenitor (NGP) and four intermediate (intercell) cell states. Two astroglia‐like, one ependymal, and one neuroepithelial‐like (NE) RG subtype were found at different locations in the forebrain in line with their role, while proliferative, active NGPs were spread throughout. Lineage inference pointed to NE‐RG and NGPs as start and intercessor populations for glio‐ and neurogenesis. Upon aging, single‐cell RNA sequencing revealed major perturbations in the proportions of the astroglia and intercell states, and in the molecular signatures of specific subtypes, including altered MAPK, mTOR, Notch, and Wnt pathways. This cell catalog of the young regeneration‐competent killifish telencephalon, combined with the evidence for aging‐related transcriptomic changes, presents a useful resource to understand the molecular basis of age‐dependent neuroplasticity. This data is also available through an online database (killifishbrain_scseq).
Altered executive control network and default model network topology are linked to acute electronic cigarette use: A resting‐state fNIRS study
Authors: Huang Xin , Qi Yawei , Zhang Ran , Pu Yu , Chen Xi , Chen Shanping , Zhao Haichao , He Qinghua
Published: July 2024

In recent years, electronic cigarettes (e‐cigs) have gained popularity as stylish, safe, and effective smoking cessation aids, leading to widespread consumer acceptance. Although previous research has explored the acute effects of combustible cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapy on brain functional activities, studies on e‐cigs have been limited. Using fNIRS, we conducted graph theory analysis on the resting‐state functional connectivity of 61 male abstinent smokers both before and after vaping e‐cigs. And we performed Pearson correlation analysis to investigate the relationship between alterations in network metrics and changes in craving. E‐cig use resulted in increased degree centrality, nodal efficiency, and local efficiency within the executive control network (ECN), while causing a decrease in these properties within the default model network (DMN). These alterations were found to be correlated with reductions in craving, indicating a relationship between differing network topologies in the ECN and DMN and decreased craving. These findings suggest that the impact of e‐cig usage on network topologies observed in male smokers resembles the effects observed with traditional cigarettes and other forms of nicotine delivery, providing valuable insights into their addictive potential and effectiveness as aids for smoking cessation.
Agricultural policy and crop location: Long‐run output and spatial climate risk consequences
Authors: Greyling Jan C. , Pardey Phillip G. , Senay Senait
Published: July 2024

Choices by farmers—notably what crop to grow, where—are not only influenced by spatially sensitive environmental attributes but also economic factors that respond to changes in government policies. In South Africa, the policy stance toward agriculture swung toward an extended period of support spanning the middle of the 20th century. Subsequently, the agricultural support policies were eliminated in the post‐Apartheid period beginning in the 1990s. Using a purpose‐built, spatially explicit data set for South African agriculture spanning the period 1918–2015, we show these structural shifts in agricultural policy regimes concord with major shifts in national corn price trends and variability, and the area planted to corn (accounting for half the country's cropped area). More subtly, and much less studied, we reveal that these switching policy regimes also aligned with changes in the location of crop production, with pronounced consequences for crop output and climate risk. At its peak, policy‐aligned crop movement in South Africa reduced corn output by between 7.9% and 15.3%, and placed production in areas with reduced and riskier rainfall patterns. Upon removal of the policy distortions, the decline in total corn area continued, and the crop largely reverted to its predistorted, less climate‐risky geographical locations. The geographical sensitivities of the agricultural policy–production–climate risk nexus we reveal suggest these locational aspects deserve more concerted analytical and policy design attention, especially in light of the longer run, spatially sensitive production and food security risk implications of the changing climate realities facing agriculture the world over.
Visually Attending to black Senses of Place Through “Everyday Things” in White City, West London
Authors: Télémaque Nathaniel
Published: July 2024

This paper shares a practice‐related rendering of Katherine McKittrick's conceptional notion “a black sense of place” by reflecting on visual practices adopted in my research project, “Everyday Things: Visualising Young Black Adults’ Experiences in White City”. In this article, I advance a black sense of place to be a conceptual lens that is capable of zooming in and out of the embodied perceptions and practices of resistance routinely created by Black people. I link black senses of place with the audio‐visual motif of “the rose that grew from concrete”. This motif acts as a metaphor, for the ways of being that Black people practice in overcoming the struggles of anti‐blackness. Providing snapshots of audio‐visual practices advanced in White City, West London with a kinship collective of young Black adults, I explore how black senses of place may be visually attended to through a combined methodological adoption of visual ethnography and photography.
Screening for psychosis risk in primary mental health care services – Implementation, prevalence and recovery trajectories
Authors: Newman‐Taylor Katherine , Maguire Tess , Smart Tanya , Bayford Emma , Gosden Emily , Addyman Grace , Bullard Pete , Simmons‐Dauvin Miriam , Margoum Morad , Smart Ben , Graves Elizabeth
Published: July 2024

Objectives

Early interventions improve outcomes for people at high risk of psychosis and are likely to be cost saving. This group tends to seek help for emotional problems – depression and anxiety – via primary care services, where early detection methods are poor. We sought to determine prevalence rates of high risk for psychosis in UK primary care mental health services and clinical outcomes following routinely delivered psychological therapies.

Methods

We used a brief screen designed for settings with low base rates and significant time constraints to determine prevalence of high risk for psychosis in UK ‘Talking Therapies’ services. We examined socio‐demographic characteristics, presenting problems and recovery trajectories for this group, compared with people not at risk of psychosis.

Results

A 2‐item screen selected for specificity yielded a prevalence rate of 3% in primary care mental health services. People at elevated risk of psychosis were younger and more likely to report at least one long‐term physical condition. This group presented with higher levels of depression, anxiety and trauma symptoms at assessment and were less likely to have recovered at the end of treatment, compared to people not at risk.

Conclusions

Very brief screening tools can be implemented in busy health care settings. The 3% of referrals to UK primary care psychological therapies services at elevated risk of psychosis typically present with more severe symptoms and greater levels of comorbidity and may require augmented interventions to recover fully.
Does an untreated peri‐implant dehiscence defect affect the progression of peri‐implantitis?: A preclinical in vivo experimental study
Authors: Song Young Woo , Park Jin‐Young , Na Ji‐Yeong , Kwon Yoon‐Hee , Cha Jae‐Kook , Jung Ui‐Won , Thoma Daniel S. , Jung Ronald E.
Published: July 2024

Objective

To investigate the early impact of plaque accumulation in a buccal dehiscence defect on peri‐implant marginal bone resorption.

Materials and Methods

In six male Mongrel dogs, four dental implants were placed in the posterior maxilla on both sides (two implants per side). Based on the group allocation, each implant was randomly assigned to one of the following four groups to decide whether buccal dehiscence defect was prepared and whether silk ligation was applied at 8 weeks post‐implant placement for peri‐implantitis induction: UC (no defect without ligation); UD (defect without ligation); LC (no defect with ligation); and LD (defect with ligation) groups. Eight weeks after disease induction, the outcomes from radiographic and histologic analyses were statistically analyzed (p < .05).

Results

Based on radiographs, the exposed area of implant threads was smallest in group UC (p < .0083). Based on histology, both the distances from the implant platform to the first bone‐to‐implant contact point and to the bone crest were significantly longer in the LD group (p < .0083). In the UD group, some spontaneous bone fill occurred from the base of the defect at 8 weeks after implant placement. The apical extension of inflammatory cell infiltrate was significantly more prominent in the LD and LC groups compared to the UC group (p < .0083).

Conclusion

Plaque accumulated on the exposed implant surface had a negative impact on maintaining the peri‐implant marginal bone level, especially when there was a dehiscence defect around the implant.
Weaker number sense accounts for impaired numerosity perception in dyscalculia: Behavioral and computational evidence
Authors: Dolfi Serena , Decarli Gisella , Lunardon Maristella , De Filippo De Grazia Michele , Gerola Silvia , Lanfranchi Silvia , Cossu Giuseppe , Sella Francesco , Testolin Alberto , Zorzi Marco
Published: July 2024

Impaired numerosity perception in developmental dyscalculia (low “number acuity”) has been interpreted as evidence of reduced representational precision in the neurocognitive system supporting non‐symbolic number sense. However, recent studies suggest that poor numerosity judgments might stem from stronger interference from non‐numerical visual information, in line with alternative accounts that highlight impairments in executive functions and visuospatial abilities in the etiology of dyscalculia. To resolve this debate, we used a psychophysical method designed to disentangle the contribution of numerical and non‐numerical features to explicit numerosity judgments in a dot comparison task and we assessed the relative saliency of numerosity in a spontaneous categorization task. Children with dyscalculia were compared to control children with average mathematical skills matched for age, IQ, and visuospatial memory. In the comparison task, the lower accuracy of dyscalculics compared to controls was linked to weaker encoding of numerosity, but not to the strength of non‐numerical biases. Similarly, in the spontaneous categorization task, children with dyscalculia showed a weaker number‐based categorization compared to the control group, with no evidence of a stronger influence of non‐numerical information on category choice. Simulations with a neurocomputational model of numerosity perception showed that the reduction of representational resources affected the progressive refinement of number acuity, with little effect on non‐numerical bias in numerosity judgments. Together, these results suggest that impaired numerosity perception in dyscalculia cannot be explained by increased interference from non‐numerical visual cues, thereby supporting the hypothesis of a core number sense deficit.

Research Highlights

A strongly debated issue is whether impaired numerosity perception in dyscalculia stems from a deficit in number sense or from poor executive and visuospatial functions.

Dyscalculic children show reduced precision in visual numerosity judgments and weaker number‐based spontaneous categorization, but no increasing reliance on continuous visual properties.

Simulations with deep neural networks demonstrate that reduced neural/computational resources affect the developmental trajectory of number acuity and account for impaired numerosity judgments.

Our findings show that weaker number acuity in developmental dyscalculia is not necessarily related to increased interference from non‐numerical visual cues.
Effectiveness of compressed online undergraduate courses
Authors: Price Joshua A.
Published: July 2024

As universities seek to innovate to meet the needs of students, compressed courses are becoming more prevalent. This study compares a compressed‐format course to a traditional format course in economics that were each taught in the summer. Results indicate that student performance in a compressed course differs in meaningful ways. Effort‐based assessments show that students in a compressed course perform just as well and, perhaps, better than students in a traditional‐length course. However, assessments measuring mastery of course material indicate performance declines in compressed courses. Student ratings also indicate that students may perceive their experience in a compressed course as being worse than in a traditional format. This article analyzes the differential performance between the two types of courses and provides a discussion regarding possibilities for future compressed course design.
Reactivity against the BP180 ectodomain in patients with bullous pemphigoid, mucous membrane pemphigoid, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease
Authors: Tegtmeyer Jonathan , Romagnuolo Maurizio , Hammers Christoph M. , Opelka Bianca , Probst Christian , Komorowski Lars , Marzano Angelo V. , Schmidt Enno , Goletz Stephanie
Published: July 2024

The 16th non‐collagenous domain (NC16A) of BP180 is the main antigenic target of autoantibodies in bullous pemphigoid (BP) and mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP). Commercially available assays detect serum autoantibodies against NC16A in the majority of BP (80%–90%) and in approximately 50% of MMP patients. However, a standardized test system for detecting antibodies against other regions of BP180 is still lacking. Moreover, anti‐BP180 autoantibodies have been found in neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease. This study aimed at identifying primary epitopes recognized by BP autoantibodies on the BP180 ectodomain. Serum samples of 51 BP and 30 MMP patients both without anti‐NC16A reactivity were included along with 44 multiple sclerosis and 75 Parkinson disease sera. Four overlapping His‐tagged proteins covering the entire BP180 ectodomain (BP180(ec)1–4) were cloned, expressed, purified and tested for reactivity by immunoblot. IgG antibodies to BP180(ec)3 were detected in 98% of BP, 77% of MMP and 2% of normal human sera. Only weak reactivity was detected for neurological diseases against BP180(ec)1, BP180(ec)2 and BP180(ec)4, in 3%, 11% and 7% of tested multiple sclerosis sera, respectively. 8% of Parkinson disease sera reacted with BP180(ec)2 and 9% with BP180(ec)4. In conclusion, this study successfully identified epitopes recognized by BP autoantibodies outside the NC16A domain in pemphigoid diseases. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the immune response in BP and MMP with potential implications for a future diagnostic assay for NC16A‐negative pemphigoid patients.
TRIM2 promotes metabolic adaptation to glutamine deprivation via enhancement of CPT1A activity
Authors: Liao Kaimin , Liu Kaiyue , Wang Zhongyu , Zhao Kailiang , Mei Yide
Published: July 2024

Cancer cells undergo metabolic adaptation to promote their survival and growth under energy stress conditions, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here, we report that tripartite motif‐containing protein 2 (TRIM2) is upregulated in response to glutamine deprivation by the transcription factor cyclic AMP‐dependent transcription factor (ATF4). TRIM2 is shown to specifically interact with carnitine O‐palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1A), a rate‐limiting enzyme of fatty acid oxidation. Via this interaction, TRIM2 enhances the enzymatic activity of CPT1A, thereby regulating intracellular lipid levels and protecting cells from glutamine deprivation‐induced apoptosis. Furthermore, TRIM2 is able to promote both in vitro cell proliferation and in vivo xenograft tumor growth via CPT1A. Together, these findings establish TRIM2 as an important regulator of the metabolic adaptation of cancer cells to glutamine deprivation and implicate TRIM2 as a potential therapeutic target for cancer.