bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
It takes three to tango: An ethnography of triadic involvement of residents, families and nurses in long‐term dementia care
Authors: Koster Luzan , Nies Henk
Published: July 2021

Background

Researchers often stress the necessity and challenge of integrating the positionings of residents, family members and nurses in order to realize each actor's involvement in long‐term dementia care. Yet most studies approach user and family involvement separately.

Aim

To explain how productive involvement in care provision is accomplished in triadic relationships between residents, family members and nurses.

Methods

An ethnographic study of identity work, conducted between 2014 and 2016 in a Dutch nursing home.

Findings

We identify four ideal‐typical identity positionings performed by nurses through daily activities. The findings reveal how their identity positionings were inseparable from those of the residents and family members as they formed triads. Congruent, or ‘matching’, identity positionings set the stage for productive involvement. Our systematic analysis of participants' identity work shows how—through embedded rights and responsibilities—their positionings inherently shaped and formed the triadic types and degrees of involvement observed within these relationships.

Discussion and conclusion

This study both unravels and juxtaposes the interrelatedness of, and differences between, the concepts of user and family involvement. Accordingly, our findings display how residents, family members and nurses—while continuously entangled in triadic relationships—can use their identity positionings to accomplish a variety of involvement activities. To mirror and optimize the implementation of user and family involvement, we propose a rights‐based and relational framework based on our findings.

Patient or public contribution

Conversations with and observations of residents; feedback session with the Clients' Council.
Bringing the imperial back in: Reconsidering governance in the late Ottoman Empire, 1839–1923 (Part I)
Authors: Kuehn Thomas
Published: July 2021

This is the first of two connected articles that survey recent trends in the historical scholarship of Ottoman imperial governance from the beginning of the Tanzimat state building efforts in the 1830s to the end of empire in the early 1920s. In both articles, I examine how historians have answered the question of what was imperial about the ways in which the Ottoman Empire was governed during this period. Throughout this two‐part series I argue that an approach that pays attention to the capacity to govern, as Jane Burbank and Frederick Cooper put it, “different people differently” through a broad repertoire of rule, balancing this politics of difference with the politics of incorporation, is more conducive to bringing out the complexities of late Ottoman governance than teleological assumptions that consider the empire during this period on a linear path toward the nation state. Part I begins with a brief discussion of different ways in which historians have conceptualized imperial governance in the Ottoman context. I will then demonstrate that scholarship on the empire's peripheries in Transjordan, Mount Lebanon, Yemen, and Albania was instrumental in reframing the study of late Ottoman governance by taking its imperial dimensions seriously.
Merkel cell carcinoma: treatment and outcomes over a 10‐year period at a high‐volume academic center
Authors: Nguyen My‐Lien , Mohammad‐Zadeh Ana , Krempl Greg , Razaq Mohammad , Collins Lindsey , Zahoor Talal , Zhao Daniel , Henson Christina
Published: July 2021

Background

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, highly aggressive malignancy which lacks high‐level evidence‐based treatment guidelines.

Methods

To determine outcomes of MCC patients and assess the role of radiation in treatment, we performed a retrospective chart review of patients treated for MCC between 2006 and 2016 at a single high‐volume academic medical center. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS) for the entire population and for those populations receiving specific therapies.

Results

Forty‐two patients were evaluable. OS for all patients was not reached since most remain alive at time of analysis. OS for the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage I was not reached. OS for stages II, III, and IV was 37.3 months (6.8, ‐), 49.5 months (14.2, 49.5), and 14.5 months (10.8, ‐), respectively. OS could not be reached in the high radiotherapy (RT) dose group (biologically equivalent dose [BED] ≥ 60) and was 49.5 months (10.8, ‐) in the low‐dose group (BED < 60). For surgical margin status, OS was 14.9158 months (6.8008, ‐) for positive margins and 37.3 months (10.8, ‐) for negative margins.

Conclusions

No conclusive findings for OS were identified; however, trends for improved OS were associated with lower AJCC staging, negative surgical margins, and high RT doses.
Neutrophils in pregnancy: New insights into innate and adaptive immune regulation
Authors: Bert Serena , Ward Eleanor J. , Nadkarni Suchita
Published: July 2021

The immunology of pregnancy has been the focus of many studies to better understand how the mother is able to tolerate the presence of a semi‐allogeneic fetus. Far from the initial view of pregnancy as a state of immunosuppression, successful fetal development from implantation to birth is now known to be under the control of an intricate balance of immune cells. The balance between pro‐inflammatory functions used to promote embryo implantation and placental development and immunosuppressive activity to maintain maternal tolerance of the fetus is an immunological phenotype unique to pregnancy, which is dependent on the time of gestation. Neutrophils are one of a host of innate immune cells detected at the maternal–fetal interface, but very little is known of their function. In this review, we explore the emerging functions of neutrophils during pregnancy and their interactions with and regulation of T cells, a key adaptive immune cell population essential for the establishment of fetal–maternal tolerance.
Assessing behavior in children aged 12–24 months using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Authors: Patel Jinal , Smith Ria , O’Farrelly Christine , Iles Jane , Rosan Camilla , Ryan Rachael , Ramchandani Paul
Published: July 2021

Behavioral and emotional problems in infants and toddlers are common, often persist and put children at risk of later mental health problems. Reliable, efficient, and sensitive tools are needed to identify young children who may benefit from further assessment and support. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), offers a brief, convenient means of screening for early problems, however, it lacks psychometric validation in infants. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the SDQ in children aged 12–24 months. Ninety‐three participants, with children aged 12–24 months, completed the SDQ and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) online. Concurrent validity of the SDQ was assessed through comparison with the CBCL. The results demonstrated that key subscales of the SDQ and CBCL were significantly correlated (r range= −.19 to –.57). Key SDQ subscales showed moderate reliability (Cronbach's alpha range = .38–.79, mean inter‐item correlation range = .06–.43). The SDQ shows promising reliability and validity as a measure for rating the behavior of 12–24‐months‐old children, particularly for externalizing symptoms. Further research is needed to assess its predictive utility.
Prioritizing of volatility models: a computational analysis using data envelopment analysis
Authors: Petridis Konstantinos , Petridis Nikolaos E. , Emrouznejad Ali , Ben Abdelaziz Fouad
Published: July 2021

Economic crisis and uncertainty in global status quo affect stock markets around the world. This fact imposes improvement in the development of volatility models. However, the comparison among volatility models cannot be made based on a single‐error measure as a model can perform better in one‐error measure and worst in another. In this paper, we propose a two‐stage approach for prioritizing volatility models, where in the first stage we develop a novel slack‐based data envelopment analysis to rank volatility models. The robustness of the proposed approach has also been investigated using cluster analysis. In the second‐stage analysis, it is investigated whether the efficiency scores depend on model characteristics. These attributes concern the time needed in order to estimate the model, the value of Akaike Information Criterion, the number of models' significant parameters, groups and bias terms, and the error sum of squares (ESS). Further, dummy variables have been introduced to the regression model in order to find whether the employed model includes an in‐mean effect, whether the assumed distribution is skewed, and whether the employed model belongs to the generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) family. The main findings of this research show that the number of models' statistically significant coefficients, ESS, and in‐mean effects tend to increase the efficiency scores, while time elapsed, the number of statistically significant bias terms, and skewed error distributions tend to decrease the efficiency score.
Primary healthcare nurses’ involvement in patient and community participation in the context of chronic diseases: An integrative review
Authors: Heumann Marcus , Röhnsch Gundula , Hämel Kerstin
Published: July 2021

Background

Primary healthcare nurses’ potential to enable patient and community participation has been increasingly acknowledged. A conceptual understanding of their contributions within a broad range of participation processes is still lacking.

Aims

The aims of this study were to develop a conceptual framework that provides information on the role of primary healthcare nurses in shaping participation processes with patients and communities in the context of chronic diseases and to identify conditions that enable or hinder the promotion of patient and community participation by nurses.

Design

An integrative review was conducted.

Data sources

Twenty‐three articles published from 2000 to 2019 were included in the analysis: 19 retrieved from PubMed and CHINAL and 4 added through other sources.

Review methods

An inductive data analysis and quality appraisal of studies were conducted.

Results

The analysis reveals four areas where nurses are involved in facilitating patient and community participation: (1) sharing understanding of health problems and needs, (2) developing resources and facilitating patient education for self‐management, (3) raising patients’ voices as an advocate in service development and (4) supporting individual and community networks. The conditions affecting nurses’ engagement in fostering participation processes are as follows: (1) care priorities and overall workload, (2) nurses’ attitudes towards participation and (3) users’ acceptance of nurses as partners.

Conclusions

Future research can use the framework as a basis for empirical studies investigating nurses’ involvement in pursuing patient and community participation. Interventions should focus less on indirect forms of participation, like patient education or advocacy, but should also focus on active forms of participation. Research is needed on nurses’ involvement in community participation processes.

Impact

This framework can be used and adapted in future research on patient and community participation in primary healthcare. It describes areas of participation and the facilitators and barriers within the broad range of activities of primary healthcare nurses.
A scoping review protocol: Mapping the range of policy‐related evidence influencing maternal health outcomes in a fragile, low‐income country
Authors: Hamilton E. Adela A. , Dornan Lesley , Sinclair Marlene , McCoy Jackie , Hanna‐Trainor Lisa , Kernohan W. George
Published: July 2021

Aim

The aim of this scoping review is to map the range of policy‐related evidence influencing maternal health outcomes and determine the cultural and contextual factors influencing maternal health in Myanmar, a low‐income, fragile setting.

Design

Eligible studies identified will include maternal health‐related policies, policy documents and research. All types of health‐related policies aimed at targeting population health and well‐being influencing maternal mortality and morbidity will be considered.

Methods

This scoping review has been developed using the Joanna Briggs Institute recommendations. The database search will include MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and the grey literature. Documents published in English and Burmese in the past 10 years will be included. Numerical data will be extracted and summarized in diagrammatic form, and a descriptive format will be used to present narrative accounts. Funding approval was granted by the Economic and Social Research Council in January 2020. This protocol was registered with OSF registries (Open‐ended Registration) on 30 March 2021.

Discussion

Little is known about which strategies work best as there is less evidence related to health policy and contextual factors in which maternal health care is delivered in fragile, low‐income settings. Understanding the context of maternal health is key to the planning and implementation of effective maternal health services designed to address women's needs.

Impact

This review will map the range of policy‐related evidence influencing maternal health outcomes in Myanmar and will underpin future large‐scale research in other low‐income and fragile settings. The results of this scoping review will provide recommendations for developing and improving practice and education for nurses and midwives working in resource‐restricted contexts.
Current practice in transvenous lead extraction in Latin America: Latin American Heart Rhythm Association survey
Authors: Diaz Juan C. , Romero Jorge , Costa Roberto , Cuesta Alejandro , Biase Luigi D. , Alviz Isabella , Velasco Alejandro , Gabr Mohamed , Duque Mauricio , Marin Jorge E. , Aristizabal Julian , Velasquez Jorge , Niño Cesar D. , Mazzetti Hector
Published: July 2021

Background

Transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is standard of care for the management of patients with cardiac implantable electronic device infection or lead‐related complications. Currently, objective data on TLE in Latin America is lacking.

Objective

To describe the current practice standards in Latin American centers performing TLE.

Methods

An online survey was sent through the mailing list of the Latin American Heart Rhythm Society. Online reminders were sent through the mailing list; duplicate answers were discarded. The survey was available for 1 month, after which no more answers were accepted.

Results

A total of 48 answers were received, from 44 different institutions (39.6% from Colombia, 27.1% from Brazil), with most respondents (82%) being electrophysiologists. Twenty‐nine institutions (66%) performed <10 lead extractions/year, with 7 (16%) institutions not performing lead extraction. Although most institutions in which lead extraction is performed reported using several tools, mechanical rotating sheaths were cited as the main tool (66%) and only 13% reported the use of laser sheaths. Management of infected leads was performed according to current guidelines.

Conclusion

This survey is the first attempt to provide information on TLE procedures in Latin America and could provide useful information for future prospective registries. According to our results, the number of centers performing high volume lead extraction in Latin America is smaller than that reported in other continents, with most interventions performed using mechanical tools. Future prospective registries assessing acute and long‐term success are needed.
Surgical clip closure of the left atrial appendage
Authors: Rosati Fabrizio , de Maat Gijs E. , Valente Mattia A. E. , Mariani Massimo A. , Benussi Stefano
Published: July 2021

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common atrial arrhythmia, but it is not a benign disease. AF is an important risk factor for thromboembolic events, causing significant morbidity and mortality. The left atrial appendage (LAA) plays an important role in thrombus formation, but the ideal management of the LAA remains a topic of debate. The increasing popularity of surgical epicardial ablation and hybrid endoepicardial ablation approaches, especially in patients with a more advanced diseased substrate, has increased interest in epicardial LAA management. Minimally invasive treatment options for the LAA offer a unique opportunity to close the LAA with a clip device. This review highlights morphologic, electrophysiologic, and surgical aspects of the LAA with regard to AF surgery, and aims to illustrate the importance of surgical clip closure of the LAA.
Microvesicles carrying LRP5 induce macrophage polarization to an anti‐inflammatory phenotype
Authors: Luquero Aureli , Vilahur Gemma , Crespo Javier , Badimon Lina , Borrell‐Pages Maria
Published: July 2021

Microvesicles (MV) contribute to cell‐to‐cell communication through their transported proteins and nucleic acids. MV, released into the extracellular space, exert paracrine regulation by modulating cellular responses after interaction with near and far target cells. MV are released at high concentrations by activated inflammatory cells. Different subtypes of human macrophages have been characterized based on surface epitopes being CD16+ macrophages associated with anti‐inflammatory phenotypes. We have previously shown that low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 5 (LRP5), a member of the LDLR family that participates in lipid homeostasis, is expressed in macrophage CD16+ with repair and survival functions. The goal of our study was to characterize the cargo and tentative function of macrophage‐derived MV, whether LRP5 is delivered into MV and whether these MV are able to induce inflammatory cell differentiation to a specific CD16− or CD16+ phenotype. We show, for the first time, that lipid‐loaded macrophages release MV containing LRP5. LDL loading induces increased expression of macrophage pro‐inflammatory markers and increased release of MV containing pro‐inflammatory markers. Conditioning of fresh macrophages with MV released by Lrp5‐silenced macrophages induced the transcription of inflammatory genes and reduced the transcription of anti‐inflammatory genes. Thus, MV containing LRP5 induce anti‐inflammatory phenotypes in macrophages.
Association of leukocyte counts in the first trimester with glucose intolerance during pregnancy
Authors: Wang Leishen , Li Weiqin , Zhang Shuang , Liu Huikun , Li Wei , Hu Tongxin , Leng Junhong
Published: July 2021

Aims/Introduction

We investigated the association between leukocyte counts and glucose challenge test (GCT) level during pregnancy.

Materials and Methods

We collected prenatal information of women who had their first clinic visit in early pregnancy. Women underwent GCT at 24–28 gestational weeks, and a result of ≥7.8 mmol/L was considered positive. Participants were divided into quartiles of leukocyte counts, and association with GCT results and positive rate were analyzed by logistic regression.

Results

Among 20,707 pregnant women, the median of leukocyte counts was higher in the positive group than the normal group (8.5 × 109/L vs 8.2 × 109/L, P < 0.01). There was a linear trend in GCT results and positive rate with increasing leukocyte quartiles. Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest leukocyte quartile (>9.70 × 109/L) was significantly associated with positive GCT results (adjusted odds ratio 1.378, 95% confidence interval 1.246–1.524), and the linear relationship between increased risk of positive result and increasing leukocyte quartiles persisted (P for linear trend <0.01). In multivariable analysis, the risk of a positive result increased by 2.2% with each 1‐unit increase in leukocyte counts (adjusted odds ratio 1.022, 95% confidence interval 1.011–1.033).

Conclusions

Elevated leukocyte counts in early pregnancy were independently and linearly associated with the risk of positive GCT levels, indicating that inflammation might play an important role in the development of gestational diabetes mellitus.
Recognizing the enemy: do predator cues influence hatching in Neotropical annual killifish?
Authors: Godoy Robson S. , Weber Vinicius , Lanés Luis Esteban Krause , Reichard Martin , Gemelli Tanise , Hohendorff Raquel Von , Maltchik Leonardo
Published: July 2021

Annual fish species have evolved complex adaptations to survive in temporary wetlands. The main adaptation of these fish is the ability to produce embryos that survive dry periods. Embryo development of this fish can show variation at multiple levels influenced by many environmental factors, such as photoperiod and temperature. Predator cues are another factor that can influence the embryonic stage. One way in which annual fish could adapt to predators is by using risk‐spreading strategies (through bet‐hedging). Nonetheless, this strategy depends on the coevolutionary history between predators and preys and on the degree of environmental unpredictability, resulting in different responses across different species. This study investigated the influence of predator cues on the embryonic development and hatching of two Austrolebias species that inhabit ponds that present differences in hydroperiod and the risk of predator presence. The results confirmed a differentiated response between the two annual fish species tested, corroborating the modulation of hatching against the risk of predation by native predatory fish. The authors further showed that development times varied between the two annual fish species, regardless of the presence of predators. They highlight that the variation in embryonic development is strongly affected by different levels of hydroperiod unpredictability faced by the two species. To unravel finer‐scale local adaptations in the annual fish embryo development, future studies should focus on a region with greater spatial gradient.
Unsecured and Secured Funding
Authors: DI FILIPPO MARIO , RANALDO ANGELO , WRAMPELMEYER JAN
Published: July 2021

We study how individual banks borrow and lend in the euro unsecured and secured interbank market. We find that banks with lower credit worthiness replace unsecured with secured borrowing, which is consistent with a reduction in the supply of unsecured loans rather than a lower demand for funding. Riskier lenders replace unsecured with secured lending, suggesting that banks take precautionary measures and prefer to lend against safe collateral. Our results highlight the importance of a joint analysis of unsecured and secured funding. Separate analyses only give a partial view and might yield misleading conclusions when banks access both funding sources.
Family Empowerment (FAME): A feasibility trial of preventive multifamily groups for asylum seeker families in the Netherlands
Authors: van Es Carlijn M. , Boelen Paul A. , Zwaanswijk Marieke , te Brake Hans , Mooren Trudy
Published: July 2021

This study evaluated the feasibility of Family Empowerment (FAME), a preventive multifamily program for asylum seeker families in the Netherlands. FAME aims to reinforce the parent–child relationship, family functioning, and social support. We used an uncontrolled pre‐test–post‐test design, embedded in a mixed‐methods approach. FAME was offered to 46 asylum seeker families, mostly originating from Eritrea, Armenia, or Syria. Twenty‐seven parents gave consent to participate in this study. Program integrity and evaluations of participating parents and trainers were assessed. Family functioning and parental symptoms of depression and anxiety were measured pre‐ and post‐FAME. Six participants completed all assessments. Most participants valued gathering with multiple families. Although FAME might coincide with decreases in anxiety and depression, the program had a limited impact on family functioning. Possibly, the aims of FAME did not align with some families’ current needs. Lessons learned and recommendations to further improve interventions for refugee families are discussed.
High levels of standardized ileal digestible amino acids improve feed efficiency in slow‐growing pigs at late grower‐finisher stage
Authors: Camp Montoro Jordi , Solà‐Oriol David , Muns Ramon , Gasa Josep , Llanes Núria , Manzanilla Edgar Garcia
Published: July 2021

Slow‐growing pigs negatively affect production efficiency in conventional pig farms by increasing the occupation time of the facilities and being a limiting factor for the All‐In/All‐Out swine production systems. This subset of pigs is usually managed with the rest of the pigs, and their nutrient requirements may not be fulfilled. The purpose of the present study was to compare the productive performance of slow‐ and fast‐growing pigs to different standardized ileal digestible (SID) amino acids (AA) dietary levels at late grower–finisher stage. A total of 84 pigs were weighed, tagged, and classified as slow‐growing (SG;n = 48; 24.1 ± 1.38 kg) or fast‐growing pigs (FG;n = 36; 42.7 ± 1.63 kg) at 11 weeks of age. Pigs were housed in mixed sex pens (n = 8 SG+6 FG/pen) equipped with feeding stations to record daily feed intake per individual pig. Pigs were assigned to three dietary treatments resulting in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement at 15 weeks of age. Isoenergetic diets were formulated by increasing the ideal protein profile based on the following SID lysine (Lys) levels: 0.92%, 1.18% and 1.45%. Pigs were weighed bi‐weekly until 21 weeks of age. Fast‐growing pigs were 33.7 kg heavier, gained 255 g/day and consumed 625.5 g/day more than SG pigs (p < 0.001). No interaction or diet effects were observed for final body weight, average daily gain and average daily feed intake (p > 0.05). However, feed conversion ratio was 0.3 lower for SG pigs fed 1.45% SID Lys/AA compared to SG pigs fed 0.92% SID Lys/AA (p = 0.002). Feed conversion ratio was not different within the FG pigs’ dietary treatments (p > 0.05). The efficiency of SG pigs may be improved when dietary SID AA levels are increased from 0.92 up to 1.45% SID Lys/AA. Thus, nutrient requirements may vary depending on growth rate at the same age, and SG pigs may require higher dietary SID AA levels than FG pigs to achieve similar productive performance.
Assessing urine ammonium concentration by urine osmolal gap in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Fujimaru Takuya , Shuo Takuya , Nagahama Masahiko , Taki Fumika , Nakayama Masaaki , Komatsu Yasuhiro
Published: July 2021

Acidemia is one of the risk factors for end‐stage kidney disease and increases the mortality rate of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although urinary ammonium (U‐NH4+) is the crucial component of renal acid excretion, U‐NH4+ concentration is not routinely measured. To estimate U‐NH4+, urine osmolal gap (UOG = urine osmolality − [2(Na+ + K+) + urea + glucose]) is calculated and the formula (U‐NH4+ = UOG/2) has traditionally been used. However, the usefulness of this formula is controversial in CKD patients. We assessed the relationship between U‐NH4+ and UOG in patients with CKD. Blood and spot urine samples were collected in 36 patients who had non‐dialysis‐dependent CKD. The mean ± SD age of patients was 72.0 ± 14.8 years, and the mean ± SD serum creatinine and U‐NH4+ were 2.7 ± 2.3 mg/dl and 9.3 ± 9.2 mmol/L, respectively. A significant relationship was found between UOG/2 and U‐NH4+ (r = .925, p < .0001). U‐NH4+ estimated using the UOG was on average higher by 4.7 mmol/L than the measured one. Our results suggested that UOG could be a useful tool in clinical settings, especially in patients with moderate to severe CKD.
A deep learning approach to automate whole‐genome prediction of diverse epigenomic modifications in plants
Authors: Wang Yifan , Zhang Pingxian , Guo Weijun , Liu Hanqing , Li Xiulan , Zhang Qian , Du Zhuoying , Hu Guihua , Han Xiao , Pu Li , Tian Jian , Gu Xiaofeng
Published: July 2021

Epigenetic modifications function in gene transcription, RNA metabolism, and other biological processes. However, multiple factors currently limit the scientific utility of epigenomic datasets generated for plants.

Here, using deep‐learning approaches, we developed a Smart Model for Epigenetics in Plants (SMEP) to predict six types of epigenomic modifications: DNA 5‐methylcytosine (5mC) and N6‐methyladenosine (6mA) methylation, RNA N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) methylation, and three types of histone modification.

Using the datasets from the japonica rice Nipponbare, SMEP achieved 95% prediction accuracy for 6mA, and also achieved around 80% for 5mC, m6A, and the three types of histone modification based on the 10‐fold cross‐validation. Additionally, > 95% of the 6mA peaks detected after a heat‐shock treatment were predicted. We also successfully applied the SMEP for examining epigenomic modifications in indica rice 93‐11 and even the B73 maize line.

Taken together, we show that the deep‐learning‐enabled SMEP can reliably mine epigenomic datasets from diverse plants to yield actionable insights about epigenomic sites. Thus, our work opens new avenues for the application of predictive tools to facilitate functional research, and will almost certainly increase the efficiency of genome engineering efforts.
A test of Sensory Drive in plant–pollinator interactions: heterogeneity in the signalling environment shapes pollinator preference for a floral visual signal
Authors: Finnell Lindsay M. , Koski Matthew H.
Published: July 2021

Sensory Drive predicts that habitat‐dependent signal transmission and perception explain the diversification of communication signals. Whether Sensory Drive shapes floral evolution remains untested in nature. Pollinators ofArgentina anserinaprefer small ultraviolet (UV)‐absorbing floral guides at low elevation but larger guides at high. However, mechanisms underlying differential preference are unclear. High elevation populations experience elevated UV irradiance and frequently flower against bare substrates rather than foliage, potentially impacting signal transmission and perception.

At high and low elevation extremes, we experimentally tested the effects of UV light (ambient vs reduced) and floral backgrounds (foliage vs bare) on pollinator choice for UV guide size. We examined how different signalling environments shaped pollinator‐perceived flower colour using visual system models.

At high elevation, pollinators preferred locally common large UV guides under ambient UV, but lacked preference under reduced UV. Flies preferred large guides only against bare substrate, the common high elevation background. Ambient UV amplified contrast of large UV guides with floral backgrounds, and flowers contrasted more with bare ground than foliage.

Results support that local signalling conditions contribute to pollinator preference for a floral visual signal, a key tenet of Sensory Drive. Components of Sensory Drive could shape floral signal evolution in other plants spanning heterogeneous signalling environments.
The role of philosophy in the development and practice of nursing: Past, present and future
Authors: Bender Miriam , Grace Pamela J. , Green Catherine , Hopkins‐Walsh Jane , Kirkevold Marit , Petrovskaya Olga , Paljevic Esma D. , Sellman Derek
Published: July 2021

This article summarizes a virtual live‐streamed panel event that occurred in August 2020 and was cosponsored by the International Philosophy of Nursing Society (IPONS) and the University of California, Irvine's Center for Nursing Philosophy. The event consisted of a series of three self‐contained panel discussions focusing on the past, present and future of IPONS and was moderated by the current Chair of IPONS, Catherine Green. The first panel discussion explored the history of IPONS and the journal Nursing Philosophy. The second panel involved a reflection on the challenges of doing nursing philosophy in a research‐intensive context of a Canadian university and the history and current movements in nursing philosophy in the Nordic countries. The final panel involved presentations on the future potential for philosophy in/and for nursing, the critical connections between nursing philosophy and nursing theory, dismantling racism in nursing and the potential for process philosophy to help explore nursing's unique efficacy in creating possibilities for health. The panels were followed by a lively Q&A session with participants, of which there were 252 registrants from across the globe. The event underscored the wide and diverse interests of nurses in philosophical discussion and the need for more virtual events and other connective modalities bringing nurses together to discuss and analyze the value and potential of philosophy to better understand and advance nursing theory and practice.
Monetary Policy and Corporate Debt Structure*
Authors: Lhuissier Stéphane , Szczerbowicz Urszula
Published: July 2021

This paper evaluates and compares the effects of conventional and unconventional monetary policies on the corporate debt structure in the United States. It does so by using a vector autoregression in which policy shocks are identified through high‐frequency external instruments. Our results show that both monetary policies shift the firms’ composition of external financing, though in a different way. An expansionary conventional (unconventional) monetary policy leads to a rise (decline) in loans and a decline (rise) in debt securities issuance. Our results suggest that unconventional monetary policy operated primarily through a portfolio rebalancing channel, rather than through a bank lending channel.
The effects of a corticotomy on space closure by molar protraction using TSADs in patients with missing mandibular first molars
Authors: Park Jae Hyun , Kim Kyung Wook , Lee Nam‐Ki , Ku Ja Hyeong , Kim Jaehyun , Kook Yoon‐Ah , Chou Alex Hung Kuo , Kim Yoonji
Published: July 2021

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a triangular‐shaped corticotomy on the protraction of second and third molars in patients with missing mandibular first molars.

Subjects and Methods

The corticotomy and non‐corticotomy groups consisted of sixteen first molars in fifteen patients (28.6 ± 9.4 years) and nineteen first molars in fifteen patients (26.6 ± 8.4 years), respectively. A triangular‐shaped corticotomy was performed between the second premolar and molar. Temporary skeletal anchorage devices (TSADs) were placed between the first and second premolars in both groups. Mandibular dentition variables were measured on the pre and post‐treatment panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms. Analysis of covariance was performed.

Results

The corticotomy group exhibited 2.8 mm more inter‐radicular correction between the second molar to second premolar roots (P < .001) and 1.6 mm more inter‐radicular distance correction between the third molar to second premolar roots compared to the non‐corticotomy group (P < .01). The corticotomy group required 5.5 months less treatment time for space closure (P < .05), but the total treatment time was the same for both groups.

Conclusions

The inter‐radicular distance between the mandibular second premolar and molar and treatment times for space closure was significantly reduced in the corticotomy group.
The mediating role of fear of COVID‐19 in the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and depression
Authors: Voitsidis Panteleimon , Nikopoulou Vasiliki Aliki , Holeva Vasiliki , Parlapani Eleni , Sereslis Konstantinos , Tsipropoulou Virginia , Karamouzi Panayiota , Giazkoulidou Aikaterini , Tsopaneli Nektaria , Diakogiannis Ioannis
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Living during the COVID‐19 pandemic is characterized by the emergence of great uncertainty surrounding multiple aspects of daily life. This study explored the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and depression, as well as the potential mediation effect of COVID‐19‐related fear.

Design and methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted through an online survey from 10 April until 13 April 2020, three weeks after a national lockdown had been imposed in Greece. The convenience sample used in this study consisted of 2,827 adults. Participants voluntarily provided sociodemographic data and completed the following scales: the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS‐12), the Fear of COVID‐19 Scale (FCV‐19S), and the Brief Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐9) Depression Scale.

Results

Participants appeared to be moderately depressed [M = 14.75, SD = 4.52]. There was a significant indirect effect of IU to depressive symptoms ((.058), CI (0.051–0.066)). FCV‐19S was tested as a mediator in the relationship between IUS‐12 (independent variable) and PHQ‐9 (dependent variable). Partial mediation of fear of COVID‐19 was supported ((.54) (.41) = 13, CI (0.051–0.066), Sobel z‐value = 14.93).

Conclusions

Depressive symptomatology affected study participants at a moderate level. IU was shown to be a significant predictor of depressive symptomatology with higher levels of IU being associated with more severe depressive symptoms. Fear of COVID‐19 partially mediated this association. The mediation effect may be explained by the uncertainty around COVID‐19‐related health issues, which are reflected in the FCV‐19S and cause worry and/or anxiety. Uncertainty related with other factors, such as the impact on the economy and education, not assessed by the FCV‐19S, may explain part of the relationship between IU and depressive symptoms that is not mediated by FCV‐19S.

Practitioner Points

Intolerance of uncertainty is related to depressive symptomatology, and fear of COVID‐19 explains part of the relation.

Fear of COVID‐19 indicates worry and anxiety related to health issues.

Psychotherapeutic interventions enhancing individuals’ capacity to endure uncertainty could be beneficial.

Provision of simple and clear information by the authorities should be a priority issue.
Self‐compassion and emotional regulation as predictors of social anxiety
Authors: Bates Glen W. , Elphinstone Bradley , Whitehead Richard
Published: July 2021

Objectives

Self‐compassion and emotional regulation have been identified as constructive attitudes towards the self which can reduce emotional distress. This study is the first to examine the role of a self‐compassionate attitude towards the self in reducing symptoms of social anxiety. The study also explored the role of emotional regulation strategies of cognitive reappraisal (CR) and expressive suppression (ES) as mechanisms that mediate the impact of self‐compassion on social anxiety.

Design

Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted on cross‐sectional correlational data with MPlus version 6.

Methods

A sample of 750 undergraduate students (378 men and 372 women) completed an online survey comprised of well validated self‐report measures of social anxiety, emotional regulation and self‐compassion.

Results

Structural equation modelling showed that self‐compassion predicted lower social anxiety directly and indirectly through lower ES. Higher self‐compassion also predicted higher CR. Contrary to expectation, CR did not predict lower social anxiety. Exploratory analyses of self‐compassion divided into Compassionate Self‐responding (CSR) and Refraining from Non‐compassionate Responding (RUSR) identified RUSR as a predictor of lower social anxiety directly and indirectly via ES and CR. CSR had no direct effect on social anxiety but did so indirectly via CR.

Conclusions

The findings provide preliminary evidence that self‐compassion can play an important role in alleviating social anxiety and that emotion regulation through ES and CR are important mechanisms of that influence.

Practitioner points

Adopting a more compassionate attitude towards the self can reduce the symptoms of social anxiety

Emotional regulation through reducing emotional suppression may be a mechanism whereby higher levels of self‐compassion reduce symptoms of social anxiety.

Although higher levels of self‐compassion predict greater use of emotional regulation through cognitive appraisal, cognitive appraisal does not predict levels of symptoms of social anxiety

The capacity to refrain from non‐compassionate self‐responding may reduce symptoms of social anxiety directly and indirectly through lower levels of emotional suppression and greater cognitive reappraisal (CR). However, compassionate self‐responding only influences symptoms of social anxiety through CR.
Compassion‐focused therapies for self‐esteem: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Thomason Sarah , Moghaddam Nima
Published: July 2021

Purpose

To identify whether compassion‐focused therapy (CFT) or compassion‐based interventions are effective in improving self‐esteem.

Methods

Databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO) were searched, along with OpenGrey literature. Experts were also contacted and handsearching of reference lists and citing articles undertaken. To be eligible, papers had to include an intervention identified as being compassion‐based and mention ‘self‐esteem’ as a variable or outcome. Papers were quality appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Data were analysed using a random‐effects meta‐analysis model, with sensitivity analysis conducted in relation to the quality of studies.

Results

Ten eligible papers were identified. Within‐group analysis of data from eight studies demonstrated a medium, significant overall effect size (g = 0.56, 95% CI [0.19–0.93], z = 3.54, p < .001), which increased slightly and remained significant (g = 0.61, 95% CI [0.05–1.17], z = 2.82, p = .005) when the lowest quality studies were removed.

Conclusions

Compassion‐focused therapy or compassion‐based interventions may be effective in improving self‐esteem. However, there is large clinical and methodological heterogeneity amongst studies making further conclusions difficult.

Practitioner points

CFT/compassion‐based interventions appear to be effective in improving self‐esteem.

Transdiagnostic concepts (such as low self‐esteem and compassion‐focused therapy) should be considered in supporting people with their mental health.
Nitrogen utilization characteristics and early storage root development in nitrogen‐tolerant and nitrogen‐susceptible sweet potato
Authors: Duan Wenxue , Zhang Haiyan , Xie Beitao , Wang Baoqing , Hou Fuyun , Li Aixian , Dong Shunxu , Qin Zhen , Wang Qingmei , Zhang Liming
Published: July 2021

In recent years, sweet potato has been cultivated not only in marginal lands but also in fertile plains in northern China. The fertile nitrogen (N)‐rich soil may inhibit storage root formation. Cultivars with different N tolerances and split application of reduced N rates should be considered. To investigate the effects of N on the N utilization, root differentiation, and storage root formation of cultivars with different N tolerances, the cultivars Jishu26 (J26) and Xushu32 (X32) were treated with three N levels supplied by urea: 0 (N0), 200 (N1) and 400 mg kg−1 (N2). With increasing N rates, “X32” absorbed less N in plants and distributed more N to developing storage roots than “J26.” The storage root development of “J26” was sensitive to both N1 and N2, while that of “X32” was only sensitive to N2. High N nutrition upregulated the expression of certain genes during storage root formation, such as PAL, CHI, F3H, C4H, 4CL, CAD, α‐amylase, and β‐amylase. Under N1 and N2, “X32” led to an increased sugar supply in sink organs and downregulated the expression of genes related to lignin and flavonoid synthesis, which promoted the C flux toward starch metabolism, thus reducing lignification and promoting starch accumulation during storage root formation. These results provide evidence for the effects of N on the C distribution in different metabolic pathways by regulating the expression of related key genes. N‐tolerant cultivars are suitable in fertile plain areas because of the earlier formation of storage roots under high N conditions.
Governance mechanisms implementation in the evolution of digital platforms: a case study of the Internet of Things platform
Authors: Mei Jingyao , Zheng Gang , Zhu Ling
Published: July 2021

Digital platforms have emerged as engines of innovation for companies to build complementary products and services in the ecosystems leveraged by the remarkable progress in digital technologies. However, the implementation of governance mechanisms to manage complementary innovation in digital platform ecosystems remains poorly understood. This study explores how digital platform owners implement governance mechanisms to manage complementary innovation along with the evolution of digital platforms. Based on the longitudinal case analysis of a leading Chinese digital platform in the Internet of Things sector, we identify four major governance mechanisms in digital platform ecosystems for managing complementors, which include agreement and rules, selective promotion, joint problem solving, and socialisation. We then develop two governance modes: the ‘commanding’ mode for mobilising complementors in the start‐up stage and the ‘enabling’ mode for locking in complementors in the scale‐up stage. This study reveals the major governance mechanisms and interaction dynamics between governance mechanisms and platform architecture in the evolution of digital platforms.
Is neutral genetic diversity related to quantitative variation in semen traits in bulls?
Authors: Gororo Eddington , Chatiza Fungayi Primrose , Chidzwondo Farisai , Makuza Stanley Marshall
Published: July 2021

Conservation decisions based on neutral genetic diversity have been observed to promote retention of useful quantitative variation in biological populations. An experiment was undertaken to determine the association between microsatellite marker polymorphisms and phenotypic variation in semen production and cryosurvival traits in bulls. Thirty‐five ejaculates were collected from ten bulls of two breeds and evaluated before and after cryopreservation for several semen traits. The bulls were also genotyped using a set of sixteen bovine‐specific microsatellite marker loci. Fixation indices (FST), heterozygosity and Nei's genetic distance measures were computed from allele frequency data for each of the bulls. Molecular and phenotypic data were used to compute tri‐distance matrices for the ten bulls and correlated using Mantel's test in GenAIEx 6.5. The study revealed extensive heterogeneity in semen traits, heterozygosity and FST values among the bulls. Large pairwise phenotypic and genetic distances were also observed. Correlation between pairwise genetic distances and phenotypic distances was significant and highly positive for sperm viability (r = .61, p < .001) and moderately positive for sperm motility (r = .40–42, p < .05) variables. For sperm morphology, ejaculate volume and sperm concentration, correlation with genetic distances was positive, low and not significantly different from zero (p > .05). A tendency for a triangular‐shaped relationship between genetic and phenotypic distances for post‐thaw motility and viability traits was also observed. Accordingly, association with neutral genetic diversity was absent for semen production traits and moderate to highly positive for sperm cryosurvival traits. Given these findings, conservation decisions based on neutral genetic diversity may capture variation in some adaptive traits, but not others.