bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of COVID-19 on the formation and dissolution of charitable organisations
Authors: McDonnell Diarmuid , Rutherford Alasdair , Mohan John
Published: May 2023

COVID-19 represents an existential threat to many charitable organisations, while simultaneously spurring new, large-scale forms of voluntary activity. Using comprehensive publicly available data from UK regulators, this chapter examines the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on the registration of new charities and the deregistration of existing organisations. The pandemic is a once-in-a-century event and thus posited to alter the expected or ‘normal’ levels of registrations and deregistrations. Data for this study come from the publicly available charity registers of seven regulatory agencies. The charity registers were collected using a Python web-scraping script that has been running on the 28th of each month since August 2020. The analysis compares the numbers of foundations and dissolutions in 2020 to what we would expect based on the trends from previous years, and examines variation in these trends by key organisational and geographic factors. As well as the level of applications for foundation and dissolution by charities, this chapter considers implications for the capacity of the charity regulators to process these applications.
Emotions in the VCSE sector during the pandemic
Authors: Terry Vita , Davis Houda , Taylor Marilyn
Published: May 2023

Voluntary sector organisations have been at the forefront in responding to the pandemic, but they have faced significant challenges including overwhelmed service provision, rapid adaptation to remote working and, for some, closure. Their leaders have been balancing the safety and welfare of their workforce and service users, tough decisions about staffing and scenario planning for an uncertain future. The additional personal demands of home schooling, caring for dependents and, for some, coping with bereavement have left many feeling stressed, overworked and exhausted. During the pandemic, IVAR held 119 peer sessions with leaders from 233 predominantly small and medium-sized organisations from across the UK. This chapter suggests that the pandemic has shone a spotlight on the emotional challenges voluntary sector staff face and the risk of emotional burnout. Rational models of management often overlook the role of values and emotions in shaping everyday practices and influencing behaviour. In response, this chapter argues unmanaged negative emotions can intensify if not addressed, affecting individual and team dynamics. Therefore, it is important organisational culture supports and maintains spaces and rituals for people to work through their difficult emotions, particularly since the full impact of the pandemic will be experienced for years to come.
The response of voluntary community sports clubs to COVID-19
Authors: Nichols Geoff , Findlay-King Lindsay , Reid Fiona
Published: May 2023

Community sports clubs’ (CSCs) are small organisations managed and delivered almost entirely by volunteers, are based in a particular location and allow members to play a sport and meet socially. Volunteering in sport-related activity, and CSCs in particular, is one of the most significant areas of volunteering across Europe. This chapter describes how CSCs have adapted to the restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. In-depth interviews and surveys show that volunteers have been as committed as ever and continually innovated the way sport has been provided. Clubs are sustainable financially, assisted by grants. Membership has been slightly negatively impacted but the underlying demand for sports participation, and the social rewards of club membership, remains strong. Thus, the infrastructure of 72,000 volunteer-led sports clubs in England has continued to facilitate sports participation and volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the associated welfare benefits. The clubs meet the collective interests of their members, yet there has been no notable movement to meet broader social needs arising from the pandemic.
The state and civil society
Authors: Spicker Paul
Published: May 2023

Other areas of policy, such as transport, environmental policy or cultural policies, are much more fragmented and reliant on the role of non-governmental actors. Governments are not the only actors in the field. Pluralism, the interaction of many actors with different priorities, is the norm. Although governments have a wide variety of tools they can use and options they can take, the complexity of the process they are engaged in, the constraints that governments work under and the reliance on civil society make the outcomes uncertain. Governments have to recognise the role of others and adapt their responses accordingly.
Introduction: Stealing Jobs
Authors: Maronitis Kostas , Pencheva Denny
Published: May 2023

The introduction unpacks the trope of stealing jobs which has become increasingly important in political and public debates and was a key argument in the campaigns leading to Brexit. The chapter introduces key concepts, such as neoliberalism, Homo and xeno Homo Oeconomicus, neoliberalism and precarity, and maps out the relationships between them. Thus, the chapter introduces the main argument of the book–that there is a mutually constitutive relationship between discourses of automation and immigration, which legitimises and entrenches a divisive type of neoliberal governmentality; and the importance of this argument in the context of the pre- and post-Brexit British political economy.
The Re-birth of Homo Oeconomicus: Self and Other, Immigrants and Robots
Authors: Maronitis Kostas , Pencheva Denny
Published: May 2023

Chapter 2 examines how the competitive labour market constructs a specific reality in which a political and social subject is formulated, developed and transformed. It is within this intersection between the promise of clamping down on low-skilled migration and the structural need for migrant labour that we focus our attention on Homo Oeconomicus and reconceptualise this subjectivity along the lines of race and ethnicity as British Homo Oeconomicus and xeno Homo Oeconomicus. Contrary to recent proclamations of the death of Homo Oeconomicus and of assertions over the power of neoliberalism to eradicate racial discriminations, we focus on the symbiotic relationship between neoliberalism and racism and the former’s ability to adapt and thrive in social and political conditions which might appear as incompatible with its intellectual roots and political and economic objectives.
The Men Machines : Migrants as Robots
Authors: Maronitis Kostas , Pencheva Denny
Published: May 2023

The chapter explores British political and policy developments spanning from the early 20th century to the current post-Brexit context. In so doing, it outlines three main discourses that define British migration policy: racialisation (1900s–mid-1980s), technocratic pragmatism (mid-1990s–2010), and the current securitised discourse that facilitated Brexit and which continues to drive post-Brexit politics and policy. Thus, the chapter develops the argument that migrant workers could be understood as robots in the sense that they tend to be defined by their economic value and utility while also being denied their humanity. The argument is supported by a wide range of political, policy and empirical evidence, that is, key immigration acts and policies, Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) reports, as well as social policy changes under the Coalition and Conservative governments, that aimed at maximising the economic gains of migration while minimising social expenditure.
The Pursuit of Posthuman Security
Authors: Beer David
Published: May 2023

Taking case studies of the art market and the smart home, this chapter looks at the sidelining of the human within algorithmic systems. Focusing on the application of blockchain, the chapter looks at the vulnerabilities within systems and how humans are perceived to represent weak points within data systems. The chapter argues that a posthuman security is emerging, in which the human is bypassed in order to produce images of a secure society.
Overstepping and the Navigation of the Perceived Limits of Algorithmic Thinking
Authors: Beer David
Published: May 2023

Exploring the tensions that are created as different forms of agency mesh, this chapter looks at where the human actor is reintegrated into algorithmic thinking. Using a case study of a large risk-management system, it looks directly at how the boundaries around the acceptability of automation are managed. The chapter argues that notions of overstepping and of too much automation are embedded into understandings of these limits. The chapter looks at how human agency is circumscribed within algorithmic thinking, and how limits are boundaries are managed and breached in the expansion of algorithmic systems.
The Presences of Nonknowledge
Authors: Beer David
Published: May 2023

Algorithmic thinking creates both new knowns and new unknowns. This chapter reflects on the tension generated by unknowability. Drawing on Georges Bataille’s concept of ‘nonknowledge’, the chapter examines the historical development of advancing neural network technologies. The chapter argues that the presence of nonknowledge is now pursued in the advancement of these forms of automation and AI. It closes by reflecting on what the presence of nonknowledge might mean for the development of algorithmic thinking and how we can identify a suspension knowing that operates in these systems.
Collaborative Questioning
Authors: Kerr Kristine Rodriguez
Published: May 2023

This gives a flavour for the questions you might ask in collaborative interdisciplinary work with young people. It provides an account of a real-life experience of doing collaborative questioning in practice.
Letting Go
Authors: Escott Hugh
Published: May 2023

In this interlude I describe an event that occurred on a research project, and then reflect on the values and processes involved in ‘working on’ this event to turn it into a piece of potential academic research writing. This illuminated the process of doing collaborative research.
Demons
Authors: Steadman-Jones Richard
Published: May 2023

An interaction with some demons. They invite us into a story of vulnerability.
Embodiment
Authors: Vasudevan Lalitha
Published: May 2023

In our project, ethnographic methods of participant observation and interviews were infused with arts-based methods of creating artefacts – collaging, impromptu video making, shared text-making, photography; these practices, as they become normalized within our research ethos, served as ‘weirs’ and interrupted the flow of received meanings that are embedded often in the labels ascribed to young people by the systems of schooling and justice. Embodiment is a word that tries to capture what is left of a project. This chapter, even with the inclusion of words, images and a cacophony of form, still offers only a partial glimpse of the affective traces that took root in the circle within us and the one that we draw around us, together.
Failing
Authors: McMillan Andrew , Pahl Kate , Ward Vicky
Published: May 2023

This piece is an encounter with a school which went wrong, but something was retrieved. It shows how it is important to factor potential failure into collaborative research. It is also about what happens when a team of artists go into a school and work together.
Mediating the Infrastructure State: the Role of Local Bureaucrats in East Africa’s Infrastructure Scramble
Authors: Enns Charis , Bersaglio Brock , Luhula Masalu
Published: May 2023

This chapter argues that district-level bureaucrats participate in mediating different visions of infrastructure held by the many actors to which they have responsibility, ranging from local village assemblies to international contractors and state agencies. These acts of mediation are animated by the specific challenges and tensions that arise with the implementation of new infrastructure projects within their jurisdictions. As mediators, bureaucrats engage in various acts of negotiation that intervene in the original ‘blueprints’ of infrastructure projects and produce adapted infrastructures and spaces. Thus, it explores how district-level bureaucrats play an integral role in East Africa’s infrastructure scramble and show that their offices are everyday spaces in which global economic and geopolitical competition is negotiated.
Introduction
Authors: Ashcraft Karen Lee
Published: May 2023

This chapter lays out the central arguments of the book. It proposes empathy “from the side” as a promising alternative to the two most common responses to populism today: opposition (populism must be immobilized because it threatens democracy) and empathy “from the front” (populism merits compassion as an understandable reaction to circumstance). In contrast, lateral empathy shows curiosity for the symptom rather than taking it at face value. It brackets the content of communication to name what has gone communicable: aggrieved masculinity. The chapter introduces the book’s focus on gendered feeling, the concepts of “aggrieved” and “viral” masculinity, the notion of a feeling pandemic, and the resulting need to reorient to populism as a matter of public health.
Introduction
Authors: Lall Marie , Anand Kusha
Published: May 2023

The introduction introduces neoliberalism and the links between neoliberalism and the rise of populist national regimes, drawing parallels with the Indian experience that is explored in depth in this volume. It then turns to the role education plays in propagating the new hegemonic discourse of both neoliberal economics and populist religious nationalist political rhetoric. In linking these two policy concepts, education emerges as the third corner in a self-reinforcing triangle that is at the heart of contemporary Indian politics, underpinning Hindu nationalist power. The introduction goes on to explain the sources and fieldwork this volume is based on before summarizing each chapter.
Epilogue: India at 75
Authors: Lall Marie , Anand Kusha
Published: May 2023

The Epilogue updates the volume shortly before publication, engaging with the effects of COVID-19 on both the central government as well as state elections, such as those held in May 2021 in Assam, Karnataka, Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, and engages with the question whether COVID-19 has weakened Modi’s grip on power.
Real-time closed-loop tissue-specific laser osteotomy using deep-learning-assisted optical coherence tomography
Authors: Bayhaqi Yakub. A. , Hamidi Arsham , Navarini Alexander A. , Cattin Philippe C. , Canbaz Ferda , Zam Azhar
Published: May 2023

This article presents a real-time noninvasive method for detecting bone and bone marrow in laser osteotomy. This is the first optical coherence tomography (OCT) implementation as an online feedback system for laser osteotomy. A deep-learning model has been trained to identify tissue types during laser ablation with a test accuracy of 96.28 %. For the hole ablation experiments, the average maximum depth of perforation and volume loss was 0.216 mm and 0.077 mm3, respectively. The contactless nature of OCT with the reported performance shows that it is becoming more feasible to utilize it as a real-time feedback system for laser osteotomy.
Integrating collapsible plasmonic gaps on near-field probes for polarization-resolved mapping of plasmon-enhanced emission in 2D material
Authors: Zhou Junze , Barnard Edward , Cabrini Stefano , Munechika Keiko , Schwartzberg Adam , weber-bargioni Alexander
Published: May 2023

Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) is an important technique used to study the optical properties of material systems at the nanoscale. In previous work, we reported on the use of nanoimprinting to improve the reproducibility and throughput of near-field probes including complicated optical antenna structures such as the ‘campanile’ probe. However, precise control over the plasmonic gap size, which determines the near-field enhancement and spatial resolution, remains a challenge. Here, we present a novel approach to fabricating a sub-20 nm plasmonic gap in a near-field plasmonic probe through the controlled collapse of imprinted nanostructures using atomic layer deposition (ALD) coatings to define the gap width. The resulting ultranarrow gap at the apex of the probe provides a strong polarization-sensitive near-field optical response, which results in an enhancement of the optical transmission in a broad wavelength range from 620 to 820 nm, enabling tip-enhanced photoluminescence (TEPL) mapping of 2-dimensional (2D) materials. We demonstrate the potential of this near-field probe by mapping a 2D exciton coupled to a linearly polarized plasmonic resonance with below 30 nm spatial resolution. This work proposes a novel approach for integrating a plasmonic antenna at the apex of the near-field probe, paving the way for the fundamental study of light-matter interactions at the nanoscale.
Multi-phase FZA lensless imaging via diffusion model
Authors: Wan Wenbo , Ma Huihui , Mei Zijie , Zhou Huilin , Wang Yuhao , Liu Qiegen
Published: May 2023

Lensless imaging shifts the burden of imaging from bulky and expensive hardware to computing, which enables new architectures for portable cameras. However, the twin image effect caused by the missing phase information in the light wave is a key factor limiting the quality of lensless imaging. Conventional single-phase encoding methods and independent reconstruction of separate channels pose challenges in removing twin images and preserving the color fidelity of the reconstructed image. In order to achieve high-quality lensless imaging, the multiphase lensless imaging via diffusion model (MLDM) is proposed. A multi-phase FZA encoder integrated on a single mask plate is used to expand the data channel of a single-shot image. The information association between the color image pixel channel and the encoded phase channel is established by extracting prior information of the data distribution based on multi-channel encoding. Finally, the reconstruction quality is improved through the use of the iterative reconstruction method. The results show that the proposed MLDM method effectively removes the influence of twin images and produces high-quality reconstructed images compared with traditional methods, and the results reconstructed using MLDM have higher structural similarity and peak signal-to-noise ratio.
Spin-orbit optical Hall effect in π-vector fields
Authors: Lyu Ziyao , Wang Changshun
Published: May 2023

Given the tremendous increase of data in digital era, vector vortex light with strongly coupled spin and orbital angular momenta of photons have attracted great attention for high-capacity optical applications. To fully utilize such rich degrees of freedom of light, it is highly anticipated to separate the coupled angular momentum with a simple but powerful method, and the optical Hall effect becomes a promising scheme. Recently, the spin-orbit optical Hall effect has been proposed in terms of general vector vortex light using two anisotropic crystals. However, angular momentum separation for π-vector vortex modes, another important part in vector optical fields, have not been explored and it remains challenging to realize broadband response. Here, the wavelength-independent spin-orbit optical Hall effect in π-vector fields has been analyzed based on Jones matrices and verified experimentally using a single-layer liquid-crystalline film with designed holographic structures. Every π-vector vortex mode can be decoupled into spin and orbital components with equal magnitude but opposite signs. Our work could enrich the fields of high-dimensional optics.
Shadow enhancers mediate trade-offs between transcriptional noise and fidelity
Authors: Fletcher Alvaro , Wunderlich Zeba , Enciso German
Published: May 2023

Enhancers are stretches of regulatory DNA that bind transcription factors (TFs) and regulate the expression of a target gene. Shadow enhancers are two or more enhancers that regulate the same target gene in space and time and are associated with most animal developmental genes. These multi-enhancer systems can drive more consistent transcription than single enhancer systems. Nevertheless, it remains unclear why shadow enhancer TF binding sites are distributed across multiple enhancers rather than within a single large enhancer. Here, we use a computational approach to study systems with varying numbers of TF binding sites and enhancers. We employ chemical reaction networks with stochastic dynamics to determine the trends in transcriptional noise and fidelity, two key performance objectives of enhancers. This reveals that while additive shadow enhancers do not differ in noise and fidelity from their single enhancer counterparts, sub- and superadditive shadow enhancers have noise and fidelity trade-offs not available to single enhancers. We also use our computational approach to compare the duplication and splitting of a single enhancer as mechanisms for the generation of shadow enhancers and find that the duplication of enhancers can decrease noise and increase fidelity, although at the metabolic cost of increased RNA production. A saturation mechanism for enhancer interactions similarly improves on both of these metrics. Taken together, this work highlights that shadow enhancer systems may exist for several reasons: genetic drift or the tuning of key functions of enhancers, including transcription fidelity, noise and output.
Modelling the structures of frameshift-stimulatory pseudoknots from representative bat coronaviruses
Authors: Sekar Rohith Vedhthaanth , Oliva Patricia J. , Woodside Michael T.
Published: May 2023

Coronaviruses (CoVs) use −1 programmed ribosomal frameshifting stimulated by RNA pseudoknots in the viral genome to control expression of enzymes essential for replication, making CoV pseudoknots a promising target for anti-coronaviral drugs. Bats represent one of the largest reservoirs of CoVs and are the ultimate source of most CoVs infecting humans, including those causing SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. However, the structures of bat-CoV frameshift-stimulatory pseudoknots remain largely unexplored. Here we use a combination of blind structure prediction followed by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to model the structures of eight pseudoknots that, together with the SARS-CoV-2 pseudoknot, are representative of the range of pseudoknot sequences in bat CoVs. We find that they all share some key qualitative features with the pseudoknot from SARS-CoV-2, notably the presence of conformers with two distinct fold topologies differing in whether or not the 5′ end of the RNA is threaded through a junction, and similar conformations for stem 1. However, they differed in the number of helices present, with half sharing the 3-helix architecture of the SARS-CoV-2 pseudoknot but two containing 4 helices and two others only 2. These structure models should be helpful for future work studying bat-CoV pseudoknots as potential therapeutic targets.
CryoEM structure of a post-assembly MS-ring reveals plasticity in stoichiometry and conformation
Authors: Singh Prashant K. , Cecchini Gary , Nakagawa Terunaga , Iverson T. M.
Published: May 2023

The flagellar motor supports bacterial chemotaxis, a process that allows bacteria to move in response to their environment. A central feature of this motor is the MS-ring, which is composed entirely of repeats of the FliF subunit. This MS-ring is critical for the assembly and stability of the flagellar switch and the entire flagellum. Despite multiple independent cryoEM structures of the MS-ring, there remains a debate about the stoichiometry and organization of the ring-building motifs (RBMs). Here, we report the cryoEM structure of a Salmonella MS-ring that was purified from the assembled flagellar switch complex (MSC-ring). We term this the ‘post-assembly’ state. Using 2D class averages, we show that under these conditions, the post-assembly MS-ring can contain 32, 33, or 34 FliF subunits, with 33 being the most common. RBM3 has a single location with C32, C33, or C34 symmetry. RBM2 is found in two locations with RBM2inner having C21 or C22 symmetry and an RBM2outer-RBM1 having C11 symmetry. Comparison to previously reported structures identifies several differences. Most strikingly, we find that the membrane domain forms 11 regions of discrete density at the base of the structure rather than a contiguous ring, although density could not be unambiguously interpreted. We further find density in some previously unresolved areas, and we assigned amino acids to those regions. Finally, we find differences in interdomain angles in RBM3 that affect the diameter of the ring. Together, these investigations support a model of the flagellum with structural plasticity, which may be important for flagellar assembly and function.
Older adults and stroke survivors are steadier when gazing down
Authors: Koren Yogev , Handelzalts Shirley , Parmet Yisrael , Bar-Haim Simona
Published: May 2023

Background

Advanced age and brain damage have been reported to increase the propensity to gaze down while walking, a behavior that is thought to enhance stability through anticipatory stepping control. Recently, downward gazing (DWG) has been shown to enhance postural steadiness in healthy adults, suggesting that it can also support stability through a feedback control mechanism. These results have been speculated to be the consequence of the altered visual flow when gazing down. The main objective of this cross-sectional, exploratory study was to investigate whether DWG also enhances postural control in older adults and stroke survivors, and whether such effect is altered with aging and brain damage.

Methods

Posturography of older adults and stroke survivors, performing a total of 500 trials, was tested under varying gaze conditions and compared with a cohort of healthy young adults (375 trials). To test the involvement of the visual system we performed spectral analysis and compared the changes in the relative power between gaze conditions.

Results

Reduction in postural sway was observed when participants gazed down 1 and 3 meters ahead whereas DWG towards the toes decreased steadiness. These effects were unmodulated by age but were modulated by stroke. The relative power in the spectral band associated with visual feedback was significantly reduced when visual input was unavailable (eyes-closed condition) but was unaffected by the different DWG conditions.

Conclusions

Like young adults, older adults and stroke survivors better control their postural sway when gazing down a few steps ahead, but extreme DWG can impair this ability, especially in people with stroke.
Large genomic deletions delineate Mycobacterium tuberculosis L4 sublineages in South American countries
Authors: Baena Andres , Cabarcas Felipe , Ocampo Juan C. , Barrera Luis F. , Alzate Juan F.
Published: May 2023

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is still one of the primary pathogens of humans causing tuberculosis (TB) disease. Mtb embraces nine well-defined phylogenetic lineages with biological and geographical disparities. The lineage L4 is the most globally widespread of all lineages and was introduced to America with European colonization. Taking advantage of many genome projects available in public repositories, we undertake an evolutionary and comparative genomic analysis of 522 L4 Latin American Mtb genomes. Initially, we performed careful quality control of public read datasets and applied several thresholds to filter out low-quality data. Using a genome de novo assembly strategy and phylogenomic methods, we spotted novel south American clades that have not been revealed yet. Additionally, we describe genomic deletion profiles of these strains from an evolutionary perspective and report Mycobacterium tuberculosis L4 sublineages signature-like gene deletions, some of the novel. One is a specific deletion of 6.5 kbp that is only present in sublineage 4.1.2.1. This deletion affects a complex group of 10 genes with putative products annotated, among others, as a lipoprotein, transmembrane protein, and toxin/antitoxin system proteins. The second novel deletion spans for 4.9 kbp and specific of a particular clade of the 4.8 sublineage and affects 7 genes. The last novel deletion affects 4 genes, extends for 4.8 kbp., and is specific to some strains within the 4.1.2.1 sublineage that are present in Colombia, Peru and Brasil.
Examining subjective understandings of autistic burnout using Q methodology: A study protocol
Authors: Mantzalas Jane , Richdale Amanda L. , Dissanayake Cheryl
Published: May 2023

Background

Early research indicates that autistic burnout is a chronic, debilitating condition experienced by many autistic people across the lifespan that can have severe consequences for their mental health, wellbeing, and quality of life. To date, studies have focused on the lived experiences of autistic adults, and findings suggest that a lack of support, understanding, and acceptance by others can contribute to the risk of autistic burnout. The study outlined in this protocol will investigate how autistic people with and without experience of autistic burnout, their families, friends, healthcare professionals and non-autistic people understand the construct of autistic burnout to identify commonalities and gaps in knowledge.

Study and design

Q methodology will be used to investigate participants’ subjective understandings of autistic burnout. Q methodology is a mixed-methods design that is well-suited to exploratory research and can elucidate a holistic and comprehensive representation of multiple perspectives about a topic. Participants will complete a card sorting activity to rank how strongly they agree or disagree with a set of statements about autistic burnout and participate in a semi-structured interview to discuss their responses. A first-order factor analysis will be conducted for each participant group, followed by second-order factor analysis to compare the groups’ viewpoints. The interview data will provide additional insights into the factors.

Conclusion

Q methodology has not previously been used to examine autistic and non-autistic people’s perspectives about autistic burnout. Projected study outcomes include enhanced understanding of the characteristics, risks, and protective factors of autistic burnout. The findings will have practical implications for improving detection of autistic burnout and identifying strategies to support autistic adults with prevention and recovery. The results may also inform the development of a screening protocol and identify potential avenues for future research.
Trends in health service use among persons with Parkinson’s disease by rurality: A population-based repeated cross-sectional study
Authors: Maclagan Laura C. , Marras Connie , Sewell Isabella J. , Wu C. Fangyun , Butt Debra A. , Tu Karen , Bronskill Susan E.
Published: May 2023

Background

The global burden of Parkinson’s disease (PD) has more than doubled over the past three decades, and this trend is expected to continue. Despite generally poorer access to health care services in rural areas, little previous work has examined health system use in persons with PD by rurality. We examined trends in the prevalence of PD and health service use among persons with PD by rurality in Ontario, Canada.

Methods

We conducted a repeated, cross-sectional analysis of persons with prevalent PD aged 40+ years on April 1st of each year from 2000 to 2018 using health administrative databases and calculated the age-sex standardized prevalence of PD. Prevalence of PD was also stratified by rurality and sex. Negative binomial models were used to calculate rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals comparing rates of health service use in rural compared to urban residents in 2018.

Results

The age-sex standardized prevalence of PD in Ontario increased by 0.34% per year (p<0.0001) and was 459 per 100,000 in 2018 (n = 33,479), with a lower prevalence in rural compared to urban residents (401 vs. 467 per 100,000). Rates of hospitalizations and family physician visits declined over time in both men and women with PD in rural and urban areas, while rates of emergency department, neurologist, and other specialist visits increased. Adjusted rates of hospitalizations were similar between rural and urban residents (RR = 1.04, 95% CI [0.96, 1.12]), while rates of emergency department visits were higher among rural residents (RR = 1.35, 95% CI [1.27, 1.42]). Rural residents had lower rates of family physician (adjusted RR = 0.82, (95% CI [0.79, 0.84]) and neurologist visits (RR = 0.74, 95% CI [0.72, 0.77]).

Interpretation

Lower rates of outpatient health service use among persons residing in rural regions, contrasting with higher rates of emergency department visits suggest inequities in access. Efforts to improve access to primary and specialist care for persons with PD in rural regions are needed.
Molecular detection and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli in broiler chicken farms in Malaysia
Authors: Lemlem Mulu , Aklilu Erkihun , Mohammed Maizan , Kamaruzzaman Fadhilah , Zakaria Zunita , Harun Azian , Devan Susmita Seenu
Published: May 2023

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major public health threats globally. This challenge has been aggravated with the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in food animals and humans. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Extended-Spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes in Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from broiler chickens in Kelantan, Malaysia. A total of 320 cloacal swabs were collected from farms in different districts of Kelantan and were analyzed using routine bacteriology, antimicrobial susceptibility test, and molecular techniques for further identification and characterization of ESBL encoding genes. Based on PCR detection for the E. coli species-specific Pho gene, 30.3% (97/320) of isolates were confirmed as E. coli, and 84.5% (82/97) of the isolates were positive for at least one ESBL gene. Majority of the isolates, 62.9% (61/97) were harboring blaCTX-M followed by 45.4% (44/97) of blaTEM genes, while 16.5% (16/97) of the isolates were positive for both mcr-1 and ESBL genes. Overall, 93.8% (90/97) of the E. coli were resistant to three or more antimicrobials; indicating that the isolates were multi-drug resistance. 90.7% of multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index value greater than 0.2, would also suggest the isolates were from high-risk sources of contamination. The MLST result shows that the isolates are widely diverse. Our findings provide insight into the alarmingly high distribution of antimicrobial resistant bacteria, mainly ESBL producing E. coli in apparently healthy chickens indicating the role of food animals in the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, and the potential public health threats it may pose.
A lower canal fill rate and unreestablished vertical femoral offset may increase the risk of the postoperative periprosthetic fractures after cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures in elderly patients
Authors: Zhou Xiaoxiao , Ji Houlin , Wu Jiajun , Chen Haixiao , Yang Yang
Published: May 2023

Background

Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) is one of the major causes of failure of hip arthroplasty with cementless stem; however, studies on the incidence and risk factors of PPFs after cementless hemiarthroplasty for femoral neck fractures (FNFs) are lacking.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients who underwent cementless bipolar hemiarthroplasty for displaced intracapsular FNFs. The demographic data were reviewed, Dorr classification was used to describe morphology of the femur, radiological parameters were measured including stem-shaft angle, canal fill ratio (CFR), canal flare index (CFI), morphologic cortical index (MCI), canal calcar ratio (CCR), and vertical and horizontal femoral offset.

Results

The sample comprised 10 men and 46 women (affected hip: left, 38; right, 18). The mean patient age was 82.82±10.61 (range, 69–93) years, and the mean hemiarthroplasty to PPFs time was 26.28±14.04 (range, 6.54–47.77) months. Seven (12.28%) patients had PPFs. A significant relationship was found between the incidence of PPF and CFR (p = 0.012), patients had a significantly smaller femoral stem CFR (0.76%±0.11%) than controls (0.85%±0.09%). The PPFs group had a significant shorter and unreestablished vertical femoral offset (p = 0.048).

Conclusions

A smaller femoral stem CFR associated with a potentially unacceptably high PPFs risk in uncemented hemiarthroplasty for displaced FNFs may result from mismatched prosthesis and bone dimensions in the elderly population, especially when accompanied by a poorly reestablished vertical femoral offset. With increasing evidence of the benefits of cemented fixation, a cemented stem for the treatment of displaced intracapsular FNFs is recommended for such a elderly frail population.
Root microbiome diversity and structure of the Sonoran desert buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare L.)
Authors: Jara-Servin Angélica , Silva Adán , Barajas Hugo , Cruz-Ortega Rocío , Tinoco-Ojanguren Clara , Alcaraz Luis D.
Published: May 2023

Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) is an invasive plant introduced into Mexico’s Sonoran desert for cattle grazing and has converted large areas of native thorn scrub. One of the invasion mechanisms buffelgrass uses to invade is allelopathy, which consists of the production and secretion of allelochemicals that exert adverse effects on other plants’ growth. The plant microbiome also plays a vital role in establishing invasive plants and host growth and development. However, little is known about the buffelgrass root-associated bacteria and the effects of allelochemicals on the microbiome. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to obtain the microbiome of buffelgrass and compare it between samples treated with root exacknudates and aqueous leachates as allelochemical exposure and samples without allelopathic exposure in two different periods. The Shannon diversity values were between H’ = 5.1811–5.5709, with 2,164 reported bacterial Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs). A total of 24 phyla were found in the buffelgrass microbiome, predominantly Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Acidobacteria. At the genus level, 30 different genera comprised the buffelgrass core microbiome. Our results show that buffelgrass recruits microorganisms capable of thriving under allelochemical conditions and may be able to metabolize them (e.g., Planctomicrobium, Aurantimonas, and Tellurimicrobium). We also found that the community composition of the microbiome changes depending on the developmental state of buffelgrass (p = 0.0366; ANOSIM). These findings provide new insights into the role of the microbiome in the establishment of invasive plant species and offer potential targets for developing strategies to control buffelgrass invasion.
Revisiting flow augmentation bypass for cerebrovascular atherosclerotic vaso-occlusive disease: Single-surgeon series and review of the literature
Authors: Abdelgadir Jihad , Haskell-Mendoza Aden P. , Magno Amanda R. , Suarez Alexander D. , Antwi Prince , Raghavan Alankrita , Nelson Patricia , Yang Lexie Zidanyue , Jung Sin-Ho , Zomorodi Ali R.
Published: May 2023

Objective

Despite advances in the nonsurgical management of cerebrovascular atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease, approximately 15–20% of patients remain at high risk for recurrent ischemia. The benefit of revascularization with flow augmentation bypass has been demonstrated in studies of Moyamoya vasculopathy. Unfortunately, there are mixed results for the use of flow augmentation in atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease. We conducted a study to examine the efficacy and long term outcomes of superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass in patients with recurrent ischemia despite optimal medical management.

Methods

A single-institution retrospective review of patients receiving flow augmentation bypass from 2013–2021 was conducted. Patients with non-Moyamoya vaso-occlusive disease (VOD) who had continued ischemic symptoms or strokes despite best medical management were included. The primary outcome was time to post-operative stroke. Time from cerebrovascular accident to surgery, complications, imaging results, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were aggregated.

Results

Twenty patients met inclusion criteria. The median time from cerebrovascular accident to surgery was 87 (28–105.0) days. Only one patient (5%) had a stroke at 66 days post-op. One (5%) patient had a post-operative scalp infection, while 3 (15%) developed post-operative seizures. All 20 (100%) bypasses remained patent at follow-up. The median mRS score at follow up was significantly improved from presentation from 2.5 (1–3) to 1 (0–2), P = .013.

Conclusions

For patients with high-risk non-Moyamoya VOD who have failed optimal medical therapy, contemporary approaches to flow augmentation with STA-MCA bypass may prevent future ischemic events with a low complication rate.
Inflorescences of Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae): Diversity, evolution and relationships with breeding systems and fruit dehiscence modes
Authors: Glofcheskie Morgan , Long Tristan , Ho Anna , Costea Mihai
Published: May 2023

Cuscuta(dodder) includes ca. 200 species of plant obligate stem parasites with enormous ecological and economical significance. Inflorescences have been historically used inCuscutafor species descriptions and identification keys, but no comprehensive study exists to date. The main objectives of this study were to survey the diversity and evolution of inflorescences and to uncover their possible form-function relationships. The inflorescence architecture of 132Cuscutataxa was analysed using herbarium specimens and eight species were grown to study their inflorescence development. Inflorescence traits were mapped into a genus phylogeny obtained from a combined analysis of nuclear ITS and plastid trnL-F sequences. To test the hypothesis that inflorescence architecture is connected to sexual reproduction, correlations between inflorescence traits (using Principal Components), sexual reproductive traits (pollen/ovule ratios, corolla length and diameter), fruit charaters (fruit length and width), and the modes of dehiscence were analyzed. Based on their development, three major types of inflorescences were observed: “Cuscuta type”, a simple, monochasial scorpioid cyme; “Monogynella type”, a compound monochasial scorpioid cymes with the longest primary axes having prolonged vegetative growth and giving the appearance of thyrses; and “Grammica type”, a compound monochasial scorpiod cymes with up to five orders of axes. Maximum likelihood analyses suggestedMonogynellaas the ancestral type, whileCuscutaandGrammicawere derived. Overall, the total length of axes exhibited a reduction trend throughout the genus evolution, but it was not correlated with the pedicels length. Inflorescences with similar architectures may exhibit contrasting pollen-ovule ratios. Positive significant correlations were noted between the size of the flower traits and pollen-ovule ratios. Several modes of dehiscence had statistically significant different total axes lengths, suggesting that the infructescence architecture is connected to the modes of dehiscence inCuscutaand therefore seed dispersal.
Offloading under cognitive load: Humans are willing to offload parts of an attentionally demanding task to an algorithm
Authors: Wahn Basil , Schmitz Laura , Gerster Frauke Nora , Weiss Matthias
Published: May 2023

In the near future, humans will increasingly be required to offload tasks to artificial systems to facilitate daily as well as professional activities. Yet, research has shown that humans are often averse to offloading tasks to algorithms (so-called “algorithmic aversion”). In the present study, we asked whether this aversion is also present when humans act under high cognitive load. Participants performed an attentionally demanding task (a multiple object tracking (MOT) task), which required them to track a subset of moving targets among distractors on a computer screen. Participants first performed the MOT task alone (Solo condition) and were then given the option to offload an unlimited number of targets to a computer partner (Joint condition). We found that participants significantly offloaded some (but not all) targets to the computer partner, thereby improving their individual tracking accuracy (Experiment 1). A similar tendency for offloading was observed when participants were informed beforehand that the computer partner’s tracking accuracy was flawless (Experiment 2). The present findings show that humans are willing to (partially) offload task demands to an algorithm to reduce their own cognitive load. We suggest that the cognitive load of a task is an important factor to consider when evaluating human tendencies for offloading cognition onto artificial systems.
Nest attendance, incubation constancy, and onset of incubation in dabbling ducks
Authors: Hartman C. Alex , Ackerman Joshua T. , Peterson Sarah H. , Fettig Brady , Casazza Mike , Herzog Mark P.
Published: May 2023

In birds, parents must provide their eggs with a safe thermal environment suitable for embryonic development. Species with uniparental incubation must balance time spent incubating eggs with time spent away from the nest to satisfy self-maintenance needs. Patterns of nest attendance, therefore, influence embryonic development and the time it takes for eggs to hatch. We studied nest attendance (time on the nest), incubation constancy (time nests were at incubation temperatures), and variation in nest temperature of 1,414 dabbling duck nests of three species in northern California. Daily nest attendance increased from only 1–3% on the day the first egg was laid to 51–57% on the day of clutch completion, and 80–83% after clutch completion through hatch. Variation in nest temperature also decreased gradually during egg-laying, and then dropped sharply (33–38%) between the day of and the day after clutch completion because increased nest attendance, particularly at night, resulted in more consistent nest temperatures. During the egg-laying stage, nocturnal nest attendance was low (13–25%), whereas after clutch completion, nest attendance was greater at night (≥87%) than during the day (70–77%) because most incubation recesses occurred during the day. Moreover, during egg-laying, nest attendance and incubation constancy increased more slowly among nests with larger final clutch sizes, suggesting that the number of eggs remaining to be laid is a major driver of incubation effort during egg-laying. Although overall nest attendance after clutch completion was similar among species, the average length of individual incubation bouts was greatest among gadwall (Mareca strepera; 779 minutes), followed by mallard (Anas platyrhynchos; 636 minutes) and then cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera; 347 minutes). These results demonstrate that dabbling ducks moderate their incubation behavior according to nest stage, nest age, time of day, and clutch size and this moderation likely has important implications for egg development and overall nest success.