bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DATT-NGRU: a novel deep learning model with data augmentation for daily stock indexes prediction
Authors: Cen Yuefeng , Wang Minglu , Cen Gang , Cai Yongping , Zhao Cheng , Cheng Zhigang
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The stock indexes are an important issue for investors, and in this paper good trading strategies will be aimed to be adopted according to the accurate prediction of the stock indexes to chase high returns.

Design/methodology/approach

To avoid the problem of insufficient financial data for daily stock indexes prediction during modeling, a data augmentation method based on time scale transformation (DATT) was introduced. After that, a new deep learning model which combined DATT and NGRU (DATT-nested gated recurrent units (NGRU)) was proposed for stock indexes prediction. The proposed models and their competitive models were used to test the stock indexes prediction and simulated trading in five stock markets of China and the United States.

Findings

The experimental results demonstrated that both NGRU and DATT-NGRU outperformed the other recurrent neural network (RNN) models in the daily stock indexes prediction.

Originality/value

A novel RNN with NGRU and data augmentation is proposed. It uses the nested structure to increase the depth of the deep learning model.
Public service motivation and public employees' turnover intention: the role of job satisfaction and career growth opportunity
Authors: Wang Qiu , Gan Kai-Peng , Wei Hai-Yan , Sun An-Qi , Wang Yi-Cheng , Zhou Xiao-Mei
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study investigated the mediating role of job satisfaction and the moderating role of career growth opportunity in the relationship between public service motivation (PSM) and public employees' turnover intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors recruited 587 public employees from Yunnan Province, China to test moderation and mediation hypotheses. The authors conducted confirmatory factor analysis to determine the discriminant and convergent validity of the measures of PSM, turnover intention, job satisfaction and career growth opportunity. Finally, the authors carried out bootstrapping to ascertain direct, indirect and conditional indirect effects.

Findings

PSM had a negative effect on public employees' turnover intention, but this relationship was partially mediated by job satisfaction. Career growth opportunity moderated the association between job satisfaction and turnover intention. In particular, the indirect effect of PSM on turnover intention through job satisfaction weakened under high career growth opportunities.

Practical implications

The results highlighted the significance of PSM and career growth opportunity in shaping public employees' work-related attitudes and behaviors. Public organizations should consider PSM a key criterion in recruitment and selection and pay more attention to the significance of intervening in career growth to satisfy public employees' psychological needs related to individual career development.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on the disputed link between PSM and turnover intention and uncovered the underlying mechanism through which PSM affects public employees' turnover intention by proposing job satisfaction and career growth opportunity as a mediator and moderator, respectively.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy in extramammary Paget disease: A 13‐year institutional experience
Authors: Maeda Takuya , Nagai Kojiro , Uehara Jiro , Toyoshima Rino , Nakagawa Tomoe , Yoshino Koji
Published: October 2022

Whether sentinel lymph node biopsy status is a prognostic factor or effective in determining treatment strategies in extramammary Paget disease remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the significance of sentinel lymph node biopsy in extramammary Paget disease. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information of previously untreated patients with invasive extramammary Paget disease who underwent wide local excision of the primary tumor and sentinel lymph node biopsy at our hospital between April 2008 and March 2021. Clinical data including the baseline neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio and recurrence‐free survival were analyzed. Sentinel lymph node metastases were classified as macrometastases and micrometastases, with a cut‐off value for sentinel lymph node tumor burden of 2 mm. Univariate and multivariate analyses of factors affecting sentinel lymph node biopsy positivity and recurrence‐free survival rates were performed. Overall, 85 patients were included in the analysis. Patients in the sentinel lymph node biopsy‐positive group (n = 26) had a significantly higher invasion level and neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio. According to multivariate analyses, invasion level and a high neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio were independent predictive factors for sentinel lymph node biopsy positivity, and the sentinel lymph node biopsy status was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence‐free survival. In conclusion, sentinel lymph node biopsy provides an accurate risk classification and clinical indication for postoperative follow‐up in patients with invasive extramammary Paget disease.
Minimum reporting standards for process and outcomes assessments for private practice dietitians working in Australian primary care: The Thought Leader Consensus study
Authors: Clark Peter W. , Williams Lauren T. , Brickley Bryce , Ball Lauren
Published: October 2022

Aim

To identify minimum reporting standards for assessing the processes and outcomes of Australian primary care dietetics practice.

Methods

A sequential, mixed‐method, exploratory process with peer‐nominated Australian ‘thought leaders’. A literature review was undertaken to identify possible standards, followed by semi‐structured qualitative interviews with thought leaders. Content analysis was used to identify a comprehensive group of items that could inform evidence‐based reporting standards. Two rounds of a modified Delphi survey were conducted with the same thought leaders to seek consensus on the most relevant items. Individual items were analysed for content validity, and those with a rating of excellent item‐content validity (index >0.78) were included as evidenced‐based standards for primary care practice.

Results

Twenty‐six thought leaders (response rate: 87%) from all mainland Australian states completed a qualitative interview and two rounds of modified‐Delphi consensus surveys. Items were identified and categorised into three domains: business, clinical, and implementation. Content analysis identified 216 items published or used in practice by the thought leaders. After two rounds of consensus review, 97 items (45 business, 33 clinical, and 19 implementation) achieved excellent consensus ratings. Combining these items into a standardised tool, the scale‐content validity index average was >0.90, which is considered excellent content validity.

Conclusions

This study has identified minimum reporting standards for evidence‐based process and outcome assessments in primary care dietetics practice in Australia. Incorporating such standards into a standardised tool could enable benchmarking across the dietetics workforce and contribute to a broader understanding of the dietetic impact on public health.
Changes in the proportion of regulatory T cell subpopulations during menstrual cycle and early pregnancy
Authors: Okimura Hiroyuki , Tanaka Yukiko , Fujii Maya , Shimura Koki , Maeda Eiko , Ito Fumitake , Khan Khaleque N. , Nakamura Yoshitaka , Mori Taisuke , Kitawaki Jo
Published: October 2022

Problem

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play important roles in diseases occurring in women of reproductive age and pregnancy. Tregs are functionally heterogeneous and can be divided into activated Tregs (aTregs), resting Tregs (rTregs), and non‐suppressive Tregs (non‐Tregs). The purpose of this study is to investigate the change of Treg subpopulations during the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy.

Method of study

Two groups of women were enrolled: healthy women aged 20 to 39 years with normal menstrual cycles and patients scheduled to undergo frozen‐thawed blastocyst transfer (FT‐BT) (subfertile women). Peripheral blood samples were collected at day 5 of the onset of menstruation (follicular phase), 0–2 days after luteinizing hormone (LH) surge (periovulatory phase), and 7–11 days after LH surge (luteal phase) from 20 healthy women. From 23 subfertile women, samples were collected at day 5 (the day of BT) and day 14 (the day of pregnancy testing) of progestogen administration during FT‐BT cycle and 9 weeks of gestation if the patient got pregnant. The proportion of total Treg and its subpopulations among CD4+ T cells was analyzed.

Results

TTreg and aTreg proportion expanded during periovulatory phase (p < .01) and after pregnancy (p < .05 for tTreg and p < .01 for aTreg). rTreg proportion was significantly high during periovulatory phase (p < .01) and during luteal phase (p < .01). Non‐Tregs showed no significant change.

Conclusions

RTregs and aTregs, especially in luteal phase and after getting pregnant, showed significant changes and may play important roles in women of reproductive age.
Development and evaluation of a novel combined perfusion decellularization heart‐lung model for tissue engineering of bioartificial heart‐lung scaffolds
Authors: Zubarevich Alina , Osswald Anja , Amanov Lukman , Arjomandi Rad Arian , Schmack Bastian , Ruhparwar Arjang , Weymann Alexander
Published: October 2022

Background

Bioengineered transplantable heart‐lung scaffolds could be potentially lifesaving in a large number of congenital and acquired cardiothoracic disorders including terminal heart‐lung disease.

Methods

We decellularized heart‐lung organ‐blocks from rats (n = 10) by coronary and tracheal perfusion with ionic detergents in a modified Langendorff circuit.

Results

In the present project, we were able to achieve complete decellularization of the heart‐lung organ‐block. Decellularized heart‐lung organ‐blocks lacked intracellular components but maintained structure of the cellular walls with collagen and elastic fibers.

Conclusions

We present a novel model of combined perfusion and decellularization of heart‐lung organ‐blocks. This model is the first step on the pathway to creating bioengineered transplantable heart‐lung scaffolds. We believe that further development of this technology could provide a life‐saving conduit, significantly reducing the risks of heart‐lung failure surgery and improving postoperative quality of life.
Paediatric major incident triage: A Delphi process to determine clinicians' attitudes and beliefs within the United Kingdom and Ireland
Authors: Vassallo James , Blakey Sarah , Cowburn Philip , Surridge Julia , Smith Jason E. , Scholefield Barney , Lyttle Mark D. ,   PERUKI (Paediatric Emergency Research in the UK and Ireland)
Published: October 2022

Aim

Triage is key to effective management of major incidents, yet there is scarce evidence surrounding the optimal method of paediatric major incident triage (MIT). This study aimed to derive consensus on key components of paediatric MIT among healthcare professionals responsible for triage during paediatric major incidents.

Methods

Two‐round online Delphi consensus study delivered July 2021–October 2021, including participants from pre‐hospital and hospital specialities responsible for triage during paediatric major incidents. A 5‐point Likert scale was used to determine consensus, set a priori at 70%.

Results

111 clinicians completed both rounds; 13 of 17 statements reached consensus. Positive consensus was reached on rescue breaths in mechanisms associated with hypoxia or asphyxiation, mobility assessment as a crude discriminator and use of adult physiology for older children. Whilst positive consensus was reached on the benefits of a single MIT tool across all adult and paediatric age ranges, there was negative consensus in relation to clinical implementation.

Conclusions

This Delphi study has established consensus among a large group of clinicians involved in the management of major incidents on several key elements of paediatric major incident triage. Further work is required to develop a triage tool that can be implemented based on emerging and ongoing research and which is acceptable to clinicians.
Starting school with purpose: Self‐regulatory strategies of first‐semester university students
Authors: Lohani Monika , Pfund Gabrielle N. , Bono Timothy J. , Hill Patrick L.
Published: October 2022

Purposefulness may facilitate self‐regulation; however, little is known about the self‐regulatory strategies that are implemented by purposeful individuals. Given the multiple regulatory challenges students face in their social and academic lives, a central aim of the current work was to consider how purposefulness and self‐regulation are linked during the first semester of university. This 13‐week‐long study was conducted with first‐semester college students (N = 256) in the United States of America to examine whether weekly fluctuations in purposefulness may be connected to the use of traditionally adaptive (problem‐solving) and maladaptive (rumination and experiential avoidance) self‐regulation strategies. Consistent with our hypothesis, at the within‐ and between‐person level, higher purposefulness was associated with greater use of problem‐solving, lower rumination, and lower experiential avoidance at the weekly level. The findings imply purposefulness is an important individual difference that may explain better or worse self‐regulatory abilities.
Scientific study of the pigments and binders used in mural painting from the 16th‐centuryceSt Mary's Church of Cheriapally, Kottyam, Kerala, and its relevance to conservation
Authors: Sharma Anjali , Singh Manager Rajdeo , Jangid Rajat
Published: October 2022

The aim of this investigation was to analyze the materials and techniques of the paintings in the 16th‐centuryceSt Mary's Church, to evaluate deterioration of the paintings, and to propose a suitable conservation treatment for their preservation. The material analysis of ground, pigments, binders, and plasters was undertaken using binocular microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM)–energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in reflectance (KBr) and transmittance mode (attenuated total reflection), thin‐film X‐ray diffraction, and micro‐Raman spectroscopy. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) was used for identifying proteinaceous and lipidic materials extracted from the micro‐samples. The study generated data on two different red and green pigments used as decorative materials. The red pigments were identified as cinnabar along with traces of hematite and clay minerals, and green as malachite and the minor presence of other minerals. SEM analysis identified cotton fiber embedded in the coarse plaster layer that provided better strength to the plaster. Plant oils and proteins found as the binder in the pigment samples suggested that the painting technique was executed as tempera. Lead white and gypsum materials were used in previous restoration works.
Pollution in strategic multilateral exchange: Taxing emissions or trading on permit markets?
Authors: Julien Ludovic A. , Kabré Anicet B. , de Mesnard Louis
Published: October 2022

We introduce polluting emissions in a sequential noncooperative oligopoly model of bilateral exchange. In one sector, a leader and a follower use polluting technologies which create negative externalities on the payoffs of strategic traders who belong to the other sector. By modeling emissions as a negative externality, we show that the leader pollutes more (less) than the follower when strategies are substitutes (complements). Then, we consider the implementation of public policies to control the levels of emissions, namely, two taxation mechanisms and a permit market. We study the effects of these public policies. Moreover, we determine the conditions under which these public policies can implement a Pareto‐improving allocation.
Bitcoin adoption and beliefs in Canada
Authors: Balutel Daniela , Henry Christopher , Vásquez Jorge , Voia Marcel
Published: October 2022

We develop a tractable model of Bitcoin adoption with network effects and social learning, which we then connect to unique data from the Bank of Canada's Bitcoin Omnibus Survey for the years 2017 and 2018. The model determines how the probability of Bitcoin adoption depends on: (i) network effects, (ii) individual learning effects and (iii) social learning effects. After accounting for the endogeneity of beliefs, we find that both network effects and individual learning effects have a positive and significant direct impact on Bitcoin adoption, whereas the role of social learning is to ameliorate the marginal effect of the network size on the likelihood of adoption. In particular, in 2017 and 2018, a one percentage point increase in the network size increased the probability of adoption by 0.45 and 0.32 percentage points, respectively. Similarly, a one percentage point increase in Bitcoin beliefs increased the probability of adoption by 0.43 and 0.72 percentage points. Our results suggest that network effects, individual learning and social learning were important drivers of Bitcoin adoption in 2017 and 2018 in Canada.
Hospitalized children's perceptions of legacy: ‘A symbol of yourself that you leave behind’
Authors: Dunbar Jenna E. , Jones Maile T. , Boles Jessika C.
Published: October 2022

Background

Legacy building is a developmentally grounded, trauma‐informed and family‐centred psychosocial intervention designed to bolster patient and family resilience through collaborative activities and meaning making. However, little is known about the effects of these interventions, partially because of a lack of clarity regarding how children of different developmental levels understand the concept of legacy. Therefore, this study explored the ways in which hospitalized children defined the concept of legacy.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 45 hospitalized children (ages 6 to 18 years) on the acute and critical care units of an academic children's medical centre. Interviews were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim; transcripts were independently coded by at least two members of the research team using an inductive, line‐by‐line approach; and codes were categorized and assembled into four overarching themes, resulting in a developmental typology of the concept of legacy.

Results

Participants described legacy as (1) concepts, actions or feelings motivated by the future; (2) represented through both tangible and intangible means; (3) informed by personal, educational, experiential and ideological sources; and (4) experienced as good, bad or neutral.

Conclusions

The findings of this study demonstrate that hospitalized children are aware of and can articulate an emerging concept of legacy – one that mirrors the progression of cognitive complexity shaped by their unique personal life and healthcare experiences. The developmental typology presented in this study can be a useful starting point for clinicians as they present and facilitate legacy building interventions throughout a child's hospital stay.
Practical application of disease risk analysis for reintroducing gray wolves (Canis lupus) to Isle Royale National Park, USA
Authors: Verant Michelle L. , Wolf Tiffany M. , Romanski Mark C. , Moore Seth , Mayer Treana , Munderloh Ulrike G. , Price Lisa D. , Lejeune Mandigandan , Patterson Brent R. , Beyer Dean E.
Published: October 2022

Evaluation of disease risks associated with wildlife translocations is important for minimizing unintended harm and achieving conservation goals. A framework for disease risk analysis (DRA) has been developed by the World Organization for Animal Health and International Union for Conservation of Nature, but applications for planning and implementation in wildlife conservation projects are limited. To fill this gap, we describe a DRA we conducted to identify, assess, and mitigate disease risks associated with reintroduction of gray wolves (Canis lupus) to Isle Royale National Park (IRNP). A total of 19 wolves were translocated from multiple locations within the Great Lakes Region to IRNP between September 2018 and September 2019. Integration of the DRA into project planning and use of diverse expertise among project personnel enabled a timely and cost‐effective process that facilitated multidisciplinary and cross‐cultural collaboration, transparent communication about risks and uncertainties, and practical management of disease risks for wildlife and personnel. Engaging disease experts and experienced field biologists in the assessment also helped to identify and account for potential sources of bias. We hope practical examples like this encourage wider adoption of DRA principles in translocations of wildlife for conservation purposes.
Citizen science reveals meteorological determinants of frog calling at a continental scale
Authors: Thompson Maureen M. , Rowley Jodi J. L. , Poore Alistair G. B. , Callaghan Corey T.
Published: October 2022

Aim

Here we investigate the strength of the relationships between meteorological factors and calling behaviour of 100 Australian frog species using continent‐wide citizen science data. First, we use this dataset to quantify the meteorological factors that best predict frog calling. Second, we investigate the strength of interactions among predictor variables. Third, we assess whether frog species cluster into distinct groups based on shared drivers of calling.

Location

Australia.

Method

To assess the relationship between calling and meteorological traits, we used spatio‐temporal subsampling (daily data fitted to 10 km2grid cells) of call and meteorological data as inputs to a boosted regression tree. We scaled the model outputs, which created a descriptive ranking of predictor importance. For strongly day‐driven species, we conducted further analyses to examine the influences of meteorological factors within the breeding season.

Results

We found a strong seasonal signal, with day of year the strongest relationship to calling in 67 out of our 100 species, moderate relationships between temperature and calling, and weak relationships between rainfall and calling. Despite the common narratives, we found that frogs did not group into distinct categories based upon the influence of meteorological factors. For strongly day‐driven species, we found similar patterns within the breeding season.

Main conclusions

We demonstrate the importance of day of year and temperature thresholds in predicting frog calling behaviour in Australia. Understanding how meteorological conditions influence phenological events, such as breeding, will be increasingly important considering the rapid changes in environmental conditions and stability throughout most of the world, and how important breeding is to species survival.
Critical reflections on The Right to Sex: A review essay
Authors: Watson Lori
Published: October 2022

This review essay engages with Amia Srinivasan's The Right to Sex, aiming to explore some of the main lines of argument. I share Srinivasan's view that no one has a right to sex and raise some questions and reflections about how to think about the basis of exclusion some people experience. Further, I raise questions and concerns regarding the prison abolishment argument she offers.
Prognosis of mucinous colon cancer is determined by histological biomarkers rather than microsatellite instability
Authors: van Zwam Peter H. , Vink‐Börger Elisa M. , Bronkhorst Carolien M. , de Bruine Adriaan P. , van der Wurff Anneke A. , Rutten Harm J.T. , Lemmens Valery E.P.P. , Nagtegaal Iris D. , Hugen Niek
Published: October 2022

The prognostic value of microsatellite instability (MSI), as well as other histological characteristics such as lymphovascular invasion (LI), perineural invasion (PNI) and extramural vascular invasion (EMVI), is unclear in colorectal mucinous carcinoma (MC). This study aims to determine the relevance of these factors in MC patients and analyses the role of MSI in stage III MC patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. A cohort of 650 patients diagnosed with stages I–IV colonic MC from 2000 to 2010 was selected from PALGA, the nationwide Dutch pathology databank. Histopathology was revised and mismatch repair (MMR) status determined. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were performed. Deficient MMR (dMMR) was found in 33% of MCs and correlated with female gender and right‐sidedness, but also with lower tumour stage (stages I/II: 73.2 versus 47%; P < 0.0001) and the absence of EMVI (9.7 versus 23.7%; P < 0.0001) and PNI (5.6 versus 12.7%; P = 0.005). On univariate analysis OS was better for dMMR MC than for proficient MMR (pMMR) MC (median OS of 9.7 versus 5.0 years; P = 0.009), but MMR status was no longer a relevant prognostic factor on multivariate analysis [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.70–1.18]. Stage III MC patients benefited from adjuvant chemotherapy, and dMMR status was associated with better OS in this group (HR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.13–0.94). EMVI, LI and PNI, but not MMR, status are independent prognostic factors for survival in MC patients. Stage III MC patients benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy and dMMR status is associated with improved survival when adjuvant chemotherapy is given.
Thermal‐exchange HLA‐E multimers reveal specificity in HLA‐E and NKG2A/CD94 complex interactions
Authors: Ruibal Paula , Derksen Ian , van Wolfswinkel Marjolein , Voogd Linda , Franken Kees L. M. C. , El Hebieshy Angela F. , van Hall Thorbald , Schoufour Tom A. W. , Wijdeven Ruud H. , Ottenhoff Tom H. M. , Scheeren Ferenc A. , Joosten Simone A.
Published: October 2022

There is growing interest in HLA‐E‐restricted T‐cell responses as a possible novel, highly conserved, vaccination targets in the context of infectious and malignant diseases. The developing field of HLA multimers for the detection and study of peptide‐specific T cells has allowed the in‐depth study of TCR repertoires and molecular requirements for efficient antigen presentation and T‐cell activation. In this study, we developed a method for efficient peptide thermal exchange on HLA‐E monomers and multimers allowing the high‐throughput production of HLA‐E multimers. We optimized the thermal‐mediated peptide exchange, and flow cytometry staining conditions for the detection of TCR and NKG2A/CD94 receptors, showing that this novel approach can be used for high‐throughput identification and analysis of HLA‐E‐binding peptides which could be involved in T‐cell and NK cell‐mediated immune responses. Importantly, our analysis of NKG2A/CD94 interaction in the presence of modified peptides led to new molecular insights governing the interaction of HLA‐E with this receptor. In particular, our results reveal that interactions of HLA‐E with NKG2A/CD94 and the TCR involve different residues. Altogether, we present a novel HLA‐E multimer technology based on thermal‐mediated peptide exchange allowing us to investigate the molecular requirements for HLA‐E/peptide interaction with its receptors.
Low‐molecular weight inhibitors of the alternative complement pathway
Authors: Schubart Anna , Flohr Stefanie , Junt Tobias , Eder Jörg
Published: October 2022

Dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway predisposes individuals to a number of diseases. It can either be evoked by genetic alterations in or by stabilizing antibodies to important pathway components and typically leads to severe diseases such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, C3 glomerulopathy, and age‐related macular degeneration. In addition, the alternative pathway may also be involved in many other diseases where its amplifying function for all complement pathways might play a role. To identify specific alternative pathway inhibitors that qualify as therapeutics for these diseases, drug discovery efforts have focused on the two central proteases of the pathway, factor B and factor D. Although drug discovery has been challenging for a number of reasons, potent and selective low‐molecular weight (LMW) oral inhibitors have now been discovered for both proteases and several molecules are in clinical development for multiple complement‐mediated diseases. While the clinical development of these inhibitors initially focuses on diseases with systemic and/or peripheral tissue complement activation, the availability of LMW inhibitors may also open up the prospect of inhibiting complement in the central nervous system where its activation may also play an important role in several neurodegenerative diseases.
An Interrogation into the Need for a New Definition for the Artist‐Teacher in Adult Community Learning
Authors: Cairns Abbie
Published: October 2022

Many have defined the artist‐teacher, most notable Alan Thornton (2013), who outlines the artist‐teacher as an individual who practices making art and teaching art and is dedicated to both activities as a practitioner. However, this definition does not specifically define the artist‐teacher in adult community learning (ACL). This article considers if this definition is applicable to artist‐teachers working in this sector. ACL has its own qualities that set it apart from other educational sectors, such as secondary and higher education, including precarious work hours (Westminster Hall 2021). This article interrogates if these affect the identity of the artist‐teachers working in ACL, and thus how they need to be defined. In this article, several similar terms and definitions are considered for their applicability to the artist‐teacher in ACL and results from artist‐teacher participants in relation to this are analyzed.
Streamlined approach for assessing embedded consumption of lithium and cobalt in the United States
Authors: Alonso Elisa , Pineault David , Nassar Nedal T.
Published: October 2022

In today's complex global supply chains, time and data intensive analyses are required to understand global flows of mineral commodities from mine to consumer, particularly for mineral commodities in products (electronics, automobiles, etc.) that contain multiple parts with many mineral commodities. National and regional analyses require additional time and data to incorporate international trade flows. However, data limitations and time constraints often prohibit global and national material flow analyses for minor metals. Here we present a methodological approach to circumvent these constraints by utilizing readily available industry‐level global data from the United Nations Statistics Division and national industrial data to estimate total requirements for a mineral commodity. We apply this approach to lithium and cobalt use in the United States for the year 2018 and distinguish between apparent raw material consumption versus inferred embedded consumption of lithium and cobalt materials in all forms. The results show that more than half of the United States’ total requirements for both lithium and cobalt is in parts and products that were manufactured outside the United States. In large part, this is due to limited US manufacturing capability for lithium‐ion battery materials and cells and the United States’ high import reliance for electronics that use those batteries.
An assessment for measuring loneliness, anxiety, and depression in male patients with androgenetic alopecia undergoing hair transplantation surgery: A before‐after study
Authors: Nilforoushzadeh Mohammad Ali , Golparvaran Maryam
Published: October 2022

Background

Androgenetic alopecia has a significant influence on the patients' loneliness, anxiety, and depression, although there are numerous strategies to improve the patients' loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

Aims

Determine whether hair transplant operation improves loneliness, anxiety, and depression in patients.

Patients/Methods

There were 35 patients recruited from the clinic. Using questionnaires (UCLA and HADS), the subjects were evaluated for their levels of loneliness, anxiety, and depression before and after hair transplant. To compare the means of quantitative outcomes, a paired t‐test was administered. The Chi‐square test was employed to compare qualitatively the preoperative and postoperative measures. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to assess the impact of marital status and educational level on outcome variables. If p < 0.05, differences were deemed significant.

Results

Our findings demonstrated a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) between pre‐ and post‐operative hair transplantation for HADS‐anxiety and depression, with the mean anxiety and depression score improving to 3.32. In terms of the UCLA, there was a statistically significant change between the two groups (p < 0.001), and the average loneliness score improved to 4.48. There was also a statistically significant relationship between marital status and loneliness (p < 0.001), educational level and loneliness (p < 0.001), anxiety and depression (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

This research found that hair transplantation surgery improves psychosocial outcomes, with affected patients experiencing less loneliness, anxiety, and sadness after surgery than before.
Child executive function linking marital adjustment to peer nominations of prosocial behavior
Authors: Wu Chunxia , Zhang Qing , Liu Siman , Wang Linan , Zhao Qiang
Published: October 2022

Objective

This multimethod, short‐term longitudinal study examined the effect of interparental marital adjustment on Chinese preschool children's prosocial behavior, and further explored the mediating effect of child executive function in this process.

Background

Although children from families characterized by high marital adjustment have been found to exhibit more prosocial behaviors, less is known about the longitudinal association between marital adjustment and peer nominations of child prosocial behavior and, more importantly, the cognitive mechanisms generating this association.

Method

A total of 307 mothers and their 2–6‐year‐olds (151 boys, 156 girls) from mainland China participated in this study. Mothers were required to report on their marital adjustment (T1); their children were interviewed to nominate classmates who displayed more prosocial behaviors 5 months later (T2). In addition, child executive function abilities, including working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility, were assessed with three cognitive tasks at T2.

Results

Mother‐reported marital adjustment at T1 was positively related to peer nominations of prosocial behavior at T2, even after accounting for child gender and age. A latent construct of child executive function mediated this relationship. Specifically, better marital adjustment (T1) predicted greater child executive function (T2), which in turn was associated with more child prosocial behaviors (T2).

Conclusion

Executive function explains the association between marital adjustment and peer nominations of prosocial behavior in preschoolers. This finding suggests that preschool children's prosocial behavior may be effectively promoted through efforts to improve marital adjustment and strengthen child executive function.
Cities in a pandemic: Evidence from China
Authors: Baltagi Badi H. , Deng Ying , Li Jing , Yang Zhenlin
Published: October 2022

This paper studies the impact of urban density, city government efficiency, and medical resources on COVID‐19 infection and death outcomes in China. We adopt a simultaneous spatial dynamic panel data model to account for (i) the simultaneity of infection and death outcomes, (ii) the spatial pattern of the transmission, (iii) the intertemporal dynamics of the disease, and (iv) the unobserved city‐specific and time‐specific effects. We find that, while population density increases the level of infections, government efficiency significantly mitigates the negative impact of urban density. We also find that the availability of medical resources improves public health outcomes conditional on lagged infections. Moreover, there exists significant heterogeneity at different phases of the epidemiological cycle.
Collateral benefits from a school‐readiness intervention on breastfeeding: A cross‐domain impact evaluation
Authors: Miller Elizabeth B. , Whipps Mackenzie D. M. , Bogen Debra L. , Morris Pamela A. , Mendelsohn Alan L. , Shaw Daniel S. , Gross Rachel S.
Published: October 2022

This study evaluated the collateral, or unanticipated, impacts of Smart Beginnings (SB), a two‐site, tiered intervention designed to promote responsive parenting and school readiness, on breastfeeding intensity in a low‐income sample. Impact analyses for the SB intervention were conducted using an intent‐to‐treat design leveraging a two‐arm random assignment structure. Mothers assigned to the SB intervention group were more than three times more likely to give breastmilk as the only milk source at infant age 6 months than mothers assigned to the control group at one site, an effect not evident at the other study site. As development and growth are the two most salient domains of child health, understanding how interventions impact subsequent parenting practices across both domains is critical to address long‐term economic and racial/ethnic disparities. Implications of the findings are discussed for improving the efficacy of interventions based on paediatric primary care.
Stable coexistence or competitive exclusion? Fern endophytes demonstrate rapid turnover favouring a dominant fungus
Authors: Younginger Brett S. , Stewart Nathan U. , Balkan Mehmet A. , Ballhorn Daniel J.
Published: October 2022

Fungal endophytes are critical members of the plant microbiome, but their community dynamics throughout an entire growing season are underexplored. Additionally, most fungal endophyte research has centred on seed‐reproducing hosts, while spore‐reproducing plants also host endophytes and may be colonized by unique community members. In order to examine annual fungal endophyte community dynamics in a spore‐reproducing host, we explored endophytes in a single population of ferns, Polystichum munitum, in the Pacific Northwest. Through metabarcoding, we characterized the community assembly and temporal turnover of foliar endophytes throughout a growing season. From these results, we selected endophytes with outsized representations in sequence data and performed in vitro competition assays. Finally, we inoculated sterile fern gametophytes with dominant fungi observed in the field and determined their effects on host performance. Sequencing demonstrated that ferns were colonized by a diverse community of fungal endophytes in newly emerged tissue, but diversity decreased throughout the season leading to the preponderance of a single fungus in later sampling months. This previously undescribed endophyte appears to abundantly colonize the host to the detriment of other microfungi. Competition assays on a variety of media types failed to demonstrate that the dominant fungus was competitive against other fungi isolated from the same hosts, and inoculation onto sterile fern gametophytes did not alter growth compared to sterile controls, suggesting its effects are not antagonistic. The presence of this endophyte in the fern population probably demonstrates a case of repeated colonization driving competitive exclusion of other fungal community members.
Approaching God Aesthetically in Modern Jewish Thought
Authors: Rynhold Daniel
Published: October 2022

Drawing on the writings of the twentieth‐century rabbi‐philosopher Joseph Soloveitchik (1903‐93), and in particular his observations on the nature and value of the aesthetic, this article sketches one element of a larger project that will explore an aesthetic approach to God and religion. The claim here is that bringing Soloveitchik into dialogue with Friedrich Nietzsche, and in particular Nietzsche’s claims in The Birth of Tragedy regarding how the world and existence can only be justified as “aesthetic phenomena,” can act as a springboard for constructing a picture whereby: (1) the experience of the halakhic life can play a life‐affirming role for its more sophisticated practitioners, parallel to that played by aesthetic phenomena in Nietzsche’s thought; (2) it is the aesthetic element of halakhic practice that explains how it can do this; and (3) these aesthetic elements of halakhic practice enable its practitioners, in varying ways, to experience halakhah as mediating a relationship with a God who cannot be comprehended propositionally.
Nationalism and European disintegration
Authors: Wellings Ben
Published: October 2022

The politics of the European Union's crises of the 2010s required the emergence of analyses and theorisation that sought to explain the possibility of Europeandisintegration. This article makes a conceptual contribution to the emerging literature on European disintegration by arguing for the inclusion of nationalism as an important—yet under‐represented—variable in the politics and process of disintegration in the European Union. It draws together elements of enduring value in classical explanations of the rise and operation of nationalism in Europe from Ernest Gellner, Tom Nairn and John Breuilly, with a postfunctionalist emphasis on the politicisation of European Union politics at the member‐state level. The article concludes that a consideration of nationalism illuminates the process and politics of European disintegration by showing that the politics of European integration in the 2010s created nationalism rather than contained it, as it had been historically designed to do.
An Analysis of the Morphology of Bony Bicipital Groove Fractures in Proximal Humeral Fractures
Authors: Guo Jialiang , Zhou Yali , Shang Meishuang , Zhang Xiaojuan , Hou Zhiyong , Dong Weichong , Zhang Yingze
Published: October 2022

Objective

Research on proximal fractures in the humeral bicipital groove (BG), a region in which bones are not commonly fractured, is considered sparse in the literature. The objective of this research was to present the definite characteristics and distribution of BG fractures.

Methods

This retrospective study included and enrolled 119 proximal humeral fractures in adult patients with complete radiography data to identify the fracture distribution in the BG from January 2021 to August 2021. The bicipital region was divided into three parts, i.e. the upper 1/3, middle 1/3, and lower 1/3 of the BG, and the distribution of fracture lines was transcribed on the male or female template, as appropriate. In addition, the normal contralateral humerus was used to calculate the cortical thickness of the supratubercular groove and different parts of the BG (upper, middle, and lower parts). The Mann–Whitney test or one‐way ANOVA along with LSD tests were used to determine differences in the fracture distribution and cortical thickness between men and women.

Results

Fractures of the BG in both men and women were mainly located in the upper 2/3 region of the BG, especially in the middle 1/3 of the BG. There were significant differences in the cortical thickness of the BG in men compared with that in women. The cortical thickness was highest in the supratubercular ridge but not the BG in men and women, respectively.

Conclusion

This research concluded that bony BG fractures were always observed in the middle part of the BG and were mainly found in patients with four fractures of the proximal humerus. As a unique fracture pattern, the existence of a bony BG fracture always means that a patient has been injured by a relatively severe mechanism, and more attention should be given to these proximal humeral fractures.
Unsuspected severe tracheal stenosis and tracheomalacia after correction surgery for congenital scoliosis: A case report
Authors: Wang Shengru , Li Ziquan , Guan Wenmin , Zhang Jianguo
Published: October 2022

Tracheal stenosis and tracheomalacia in patients with congenital scoliosis are serious and rare conditions caused by congenital dysplasia, postintubation injury, trauma, and tracheal tumor. Anesthesia of a child with tracheal stenosis is challenging for anesthesiologists. We describe an 8‐year‐old female patient developed severe tracheal stenosis and tracheomalacia after growing rod implantation for congenital scoliosis. Comprehensive assessment of preoperative pulmonary function and airway morphology, which can be neglected clinically, should be performed in congenital scoliosis patients.
The biodeposition process in native mammals: spatial distribution and influence of waste products on soil fertility in restored and grazed woodland
Authors: Tabeni Solana , Larramendy Laura , Szymañski Carolina R. , Cona Mónica
Published: October 2022

Mammals have been widely recognized as mobile link species that can vectorize resources across the landscape. In this study, we analyze the biodeposition of waste products egested by native herbivorous mammals of the Monte Desert to document for the first time the implications of the restoration of a native forest on this process. We compared a restored native woodland an adjacent grazing field in terms of the spatial distribution of waste products, the biodiversity of trophic items stored in fecal pellets, and the C:N ratio as a predictor of nutrients supplied to the soil. We found that fecal pellets of mammal species were intermingled and spatially distributed throughout the entire landscape, but they were more abundant in the restoration area, indicating the influence of land management types on the distribution process. The two mammal species presented different feeding strategies; however, the plant species consumed in the grazing field indicate decreased food options for native mammals, meaning a smaller amplitude of their trophic niches under this land management. The low C:N ratio and the high nitrogen pool provided by the pellets in the restoration area suggest a potential benefit to plant communities. However, the higher organic C jointly with the lower C:N ratio observed in fecal pellets of grazing field indicate a low decomposability which could promote the conservation of C in the soil.
A Sisterhood: The Collective Resilience Born in the Periphery of Prison
Authors: Castle Kirsten Mai
Published: October 2022

The collateral consequences of incarceration and prison visitation, transcend the boundaries of prison and transform women's lives. Through an intersectional approach, this research uncovers in what capacity degradation and secondary prisonization shape women's lives, and what coping mechanisms women form in response to the difficulties of visitation. Existing research has yet to identify visitors' relationships to one another and how these relationships aid in fostering coping strategies and resilience within the carceral realm. To fill the gaps, I employed qualitative research to explore the process of visitation, processing procedures, challenges of visitation, staff relations, and women's support systems. Findings indicated visitors are subject to an environment of gendered, racist, and classist oppression that varies in degree depending on social heirarchy and status. However, as a manifestation of resilience, women construct coping mechanisms in the form of information and support networks that aid in the dismantling the prevailing culture of scarcity of information and the degradation of free women by prison staff. These marginalized women habitually resist carceral domination through informal interpersonal support systems.