bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The small trial problem
Authors: Raymond Jean , Darsaut Tim E. , Eneling Johanna , Chagnon Miguel
Published: June 2023

Background

Many randomized trials that aim to assess new or commonly used medical or surgical interventions have been so small that the validity of conclusions becomes questionable.

Methods

We illustrate the small trial problem using the power calculation of five Cochrane-reviewed studies that compared vertebroplasty versus placebo interventions. We discuss some of the reasons why the statistical admonition not to dichotomize continuous variables may not apply to the calculation of the number of patients required for trials to be meaningful.

Results

Placebo–controlled vertebroplasty trials planned to recruit between 23 and 71 patients per group. Four of five studies used the standardized mean difference of a continuous pain variable (centimeters on the visual analog scale (VAS)) to plan implausibly small trials. What is needed is not a mean effect at the population level but a measure of efficacy at the patient level. Clinical practice concerns the care of individual patients that vary in many more respects than the variation around the mean of a single selected variable. The inference from trial to practice concerns the frequency of success of the experimental intervention performed one patient at a time. A comparison of the proportions of patients reaching a certain threshold is a more meaningful method that appropriately requires larger trials.

Conclusion

Most placebo-controlled vertebroplasty trials used comparisons of means of a continuous variable and were consequently very small. Randomized trials should instead be large enough to account for the diversity of future patients and practices. They should offer an evaluation of a clinically meaningful number of interventions performed in various contexts. Implications of this principle are not specific to placebo-controlled surgical trials. Trials designed to inform practice require a per-patient comparison of outcomes and the size of the trial should be planned accordingly.
Microorganisms associated with hedgehog arthropods
Authors: Benkacimi Linda , Diarra Adama Zan , Bompar Jean-Michel , Bérenger Jean-Michel , Parola Philippe
Published: June 2023

Hedgehogs are small synanthropic mammals that live in rural areas as well as in urban and suburban areas. They can be reservoirs of several microorganisms, including certain pathogenic agents that cause human and animal public health issues. Hedgehogs are often parasitized by blood-sucking arthropods, mainly hard ticks and fleas, which in turn can also carry various vector-born microorganisms of zoonotic importance. Many biotic factors, such as urbanization and agricultural mechanization, have resulted in the destruction of the hedgehog’s natural habitats, leading these animals to take refuge near human dwellings, seeking food and shelter in parks and gardens and exposing humans to zoonotic agents that can be transmitted either directly by them or indirectly by their ectoparasites. In this review, we focus on the microorganisms detected in arthropods sampled from hedgehogs worldwide. Several microorganisms have been reported in ticks collected from these animals, including various Borrelia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp. species as well as Coxiella burnetii and Leptospira spp. As for fleas, C. burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Wolbachia spp., Mycobacterium spp. and various Bartonella species have been reported. The detection of these microorganisms in arthropods does not necessarily mean that they can be transmitted to humans and animals. While the vector capacity and competence of fleas and ticks for some of these microorganisms has been proven, in other cases the microorganisms may have simply been ingested with blood taken from an infected host. Further investigations are needed to clarify this issue. As hedgehogs are protected animals, handling them is highly regulated, making it difficult to conduct epidemiological studies on them. Their ectoparasites represent a very interesting source of information on microorganisms circulating in populations of these animals, especially vector-born ones.

Graphical abstract
Trajectories of glycated hemoglobin of T2DM and progress of arterial stiffness: a prospective study
Authors: Li Kun , Cao Bin , Dong Huan , Yang Longyan , Zhao Dong
Published: June 2023

Aim

This study aimed to describe the different trajectories groups of HbA1c during the long-term treatment of diabetes and explore the effect of glycemic control on the progression of arterial stiffness.

Method

The study participants registered at the National Metabolic Management Center (MMC) of Beijing Luhe hospital. The latent class mixture model (LCMM) was used to identify distinct trajectories of HbA1c. We calculated the change value of baPWV (ΔbaPWV) of each participant between the whole follow-up time as the primary outcome. Then we examined the associations between each HbA1c trajectory pattern and ΔbaPWV using covariate-adjusted means (SE) of ΔbaPWV, which were calculated by multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for the covariates.

Results

After data cleaning, a total of 940 type 2 diabetes patients aged 20–80 years were included in this study. According to the BIC, we identified four discrete trajectories of HbA1c: Low-stable, U-shape, Moderate-decrease, High-increase, respectively. Compared with the low-stable group of HbA1c, the adjusted mean values of baPWV were significantly higher in U-shape, Moderate-decrease, and High-increase groups (all P < 0.05, and P for trend < 0.001), the mean values (SE) were 82.73 (0.08), 91.19 (0.96), 116.00 (0.81) and 223.19 (11.54), respectively.

Conclusion

We found four different trajectories groups of HbA1c during the long-term treatment of diabetes. In addition, the result proves the causal relationship between long-term glycemic control and arterial stiffness on a time scale.
Chromobacterium haemolyticum infection from hot springs near Yellowstone National Park: a case report
Authors: Patterson Kyle , Suleta Katie , Shearen Sean , Chapman Kenneth
Published: June 2023

Background

Chromobacterium haemolyticum is a gram-negative anaerobic sporulated rod and was only first identified in 2008. It is very rare in people with only a handful of cases having been diagnosed around the world.

Case presentation

After suffering a fall near Yellowstone National Park, a white male patient in his 50 s presented to a hospital in Eastern Idaho. With many unexplained symptoms, several changes in patient stability and recovery, over a course of 18 days in the hospital, the infecting organism could not be easily identified. Labs in the hospital, state, and eventually outside of the state were consulted for pathogen identification, which was only accomplished after the patient was discharged.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is only the seven reported human infection with Chromobacterium haemolyticum. This bacterium is difficult to identify and may be occur in rural areas without the proper testing facilities to quickly identify the pathogen, which is essential to timely treatment.
Functional defects in hiPSCs-derived cardiomyocytes from patients with a PLEKHM2-mutation associated with dilated cardiomyopathy and left ventricular non-compaction
Authors: Korover Nataly , Etzion Sharon , Cherniak Alexander , Rabinski Tatiana , Levitas Aviva , Etzion Yoram , Ofir Rivka , Parvari Ruti , Cohen Smadar
Published: June 2023

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a primary myocardial disease, leading to heart failure and excessive risk of sudden cardiac death with rather poorly understood pathophysiology. In 2015, Parvari's group identified a recessive mutation in the autophagy regulator, PLEKHM2 gene, in a family with severe recessive DCM and left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC). Fibroblasts isolated from these patients exhibited abnormal subcellular distribution of endosomes, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes and had impaired autophagy flux. To better understand the effect of mutated PLEKHM2 on cardiac tissue, we generated and characterized induced pluripotent stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) from two patients and a healthy control from the same family. The patient iPSC-CMs showed low expression levels of genes encoding for contractile functional proteins (α and β-myosin heavy chains and 2v and 2a-myosin light chains), structural proteins integral to heart contraction (Troponin C, T and I) and proteins participating in Ca2+pumping action (SERCA2 and Calsequestrin 2) compared to their levels in control iPSC-derived CMs. Furthermore, the sarcomeres of the patient iPSC-CMs were less oriented and aligned compared to control cells and generated slowly beating foci with lower intracellular calcium amplitude and abnormal calcium transient kinetics, measured by IonOptix system and MuscleMotion software. Autophagy in patient’s iPSC-CMs was impaired as determined from a decrease in the accumulation of autophagosomes in response to chloroquine and rapamycin treatment, compared to control iPSC-CMs. Impairment in autophagy together with the deficiency in the expression of NKX2.5, MHC, MLC, Troponins and CASQ2 genes, which are related to contraction-relaxation coupling and intracellular Ca2+signaling, may contribute to the defective function of the patient CMs and possibly affect cell maturation and cardiac failure with time.
COVID-19 and FDI nexus in Pakistan: fresh evidence from QARDL and time-varying casualty techniques
Authors: Chishti Muhammad Zubair
Published: June 2023

While the COVID-19 pandemic’s detrimental repercussions on global economic growth are not exactly measured, there is widespread agreement among the policy-makers that it can deteriorate the global economy drastically. To this end, several studies have endeavored to analyze the harmful effects of COVID-19 on economic activities; however, the scholars mainly focus on the developed nations and less attention is paid to the developing economies. Hence, the considerable effects of COVID-19 necessitate to more research in this area specifically for developing economies. To fill this literature gap, the recent article tends to divulge the impacts of COVID-19 on one of the vital macroeconomic variables, i.e., foreign direct investment inflows (FDI) with the consort of energy prices (EPI) and real exchange rates (EXR) for Pakistan. To this end, we deploy the two proxies (viz., new deaths and new cases) for COVID-19 to find the reliable and more directional results. For analysis purpose, we use the several advanced econometric techniques. The results of QARDL suggest that COVID-19 significantly reduces the FDI inflows in Pakistan due to rise in COVID-19, while employing the both proxies. However, based on the results, we suggest that the variable of new deaths is more reliable proxy to capture the effects of COVID-19. Similarly, we infer that EPI and EXR also lead to decrease the FDI inflows. Besides, the quantile Granger causality and TVGC tests also support our results by confirming the casual nexus from COVID-19 and EPI to FDI.
Corporate governance, external financing, and earnings management: new evidence from an emerging market
Authors: Hong Nguyen Thi Hoa , Anh Nguyen Thai , Hoang Nguyen Tran Viet , Minh Do Nhat
Published: June 2023

This study investigates the relationship between corporate governance, external financing, and earnings management in an emerging market. Using a sample of Vietnamese listed companies in the period of 2010–2020, the results indicate that corporate governance, which is measured by a principal component analysis (PCA) methodology, is a useful mechanism to control earnings management. However, when firms engage in external financing activities, corporate governance is not significantly associated with both accrual-based and real earnings management. In addition, the study also examines the role of corporate governance in moderating the effects of earnings management on firm value, and how it is encouraged by external financing needs. The study shows that while good corporate governance lessens the influence of earnings management on firm value, external financing needs only prompts earnings manipulation and have no effect on firm value, directly or indirectly. Therefore, the findings could provide implications for managers and regulators to enhance governance practice to alleviate firm devaluation caused by earnings management practice.
‘Medical clearance’ and referral to liaison psychiatry: a national service evaluation
Authors: Gillett George , Westwood Sophie , Thomson Alex B. , Lee William
Published: June 2023

Aims and method

The prevalence of delaying psychiatric care until the patient has received ‘medical clearance’, and the definitions and understanding of ‘medical clearance’ terminology by relevant clinicians, are largely unknown. In a service evaluation of adult liaison psychiatry services across England, we explore the prevalence, definitions and understanding of ‘medical clearance’ terminology in three parallel studies: (a) an analysis of trust policies, (b) a survey of liaison psychiatry services and (c) a survey of referring junior doctors. Content and thematic analyses were performed.

Results

‘Medical clearance’ terminology was used in the majority of trust policies, reported as a referral criterion by many liaison psychiatry services and had been encountered by most referring doctors. ‘Medical clearance’ was identified as a common barrier to liaison psychiatry referral. Terms were inconsistently used and poorly defined.

Clinical implications

Many liaison psychiatry services seem not to comply with guidance promoting parallel assessment. This may affect parity of physical and mental healthcare provision.
Psychiatric in-patients who are parents: what interventions are tailored to their needs and how do they experience care? A systematic review and data synthesis
Authors: Dunn Abigail , Christiansen Hanna , Elsby-Pearson Chloe , Kramer Jaqueline , Swinburn Eliza , Platt Belinda , Cartwright-Hatton Sam
Published: June 2023

Background

Little is known about the experiences of parents who are in receipt of in-patient psychiatric care or about what interventions are employed to support them in their parenting role.

Aims

The objective of the current study is to review two complementary areas of research: (a) research examining interventions developed to support the parent–child relationship within these settings; and (b) research focused on the experience of parents in in-patient settings.

Method

For studies reporting on parents’ experience, qualitative accounts of past or present psychiatric in-patients (child aged 1–18 years) were included. For intervention studies, the intervention had to focus on supporting the parenting role and/or the parent–child dyad of parents (child aged 1–18 years) in current receipt of in-patient care. Four bibliographic databases (PubMed, SCOPOS, Web of Science and PsychINFO) were searched for relevant published and unpublished literature from 1 January 1980 to 26 July 2022. Intervention studies were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Qualitative papers were assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Data were extracted using tools designed for the study. Qualitative data were synthesised using thematic analysis. The protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (reference CRD42022309065).

Results

Twenty-four papers (eight intervention studies and 16 studies examining parent experience) were included in the review. In-patient parents commonly reported hospital admission as having a negative impact on their parenting. Very few robust reports of interventions designed to support parents in receipt of psychiatric in-patient care were found.

Conclusions

Despite the identified need for support by parents who are receiving in-patient care, there is currently no intervention of this nature running in the UK health service.
Zaisheng yuan and the Writing of Women's Culture
Authors: Epstein Maram
Published: June 2023

This article focuses on Zaisheng yuan as an intertextual work of creative fiction that draws from male-authored xiaoshuo fiction as well as earlier literary tanci novels. This case study discusses Zaisheng yuan as a key text in an affective archive of narrative works written by women that provides insights into how elite women mentally negotiated the social and ideological expectations that informed their lives. In addition to looking at how women authors rewrote the conventions associated with scholar-beauty romances, the chastity cult, and the gendered symbols associated with proper order, this article discusses tanci novels as a unique outlet for women's explorations of autonomous will (zhi 志) and imaginings of emotional justice.
Retinoic acid is dispensable for meiotic initiation but required for spermiogenesis in the mammalian testis
Authors: Kirsanov Oleksandr , Johnson Taylor A. , Niedenberger Bryan A. , Malachowski Taylor N. , Hale Benjamin J. , Chen Qing , Lackford Brad , Wang Jiajia , Singh Anukriti , Schindler Karen , Hermann Brian P. , Hu Guang , Geyer Christopher B.
Published: June 2023

Retinoic acid (RA) is the proposed mammalian ‘meiosis inducing substance’. However, evidence for this role comes from studies in the fetal ovary, where germ cell differentiation and meiotic initiation are temporally inseparable. In the postnatal testis, these events are separated by more than 1 week. Exploiting this difference, we discovered that, although RA is required for spermatogonial differentiation, it is dispensable for the subsequent initiation, progression and completion of meiosis. Indeed, in the absence of RA, the meiotic transcriptome program in both differentiating spermatogonia and spermatocytes entering meiosis was largely unaffected. Instead, transcripts encoding factors required during spermiogenesis were aberrant during preleptonema, and the subsequent spermatid morphogenesis program was disrupted such that no sperm were produced. Taken together, these data reveal a RA-independent model for male meiotic initiation.
Muscle-on-a-chip devices: a new era for in vitro modelling of muscular dystrophies
Authors: Fernández-Costa Juan M. , Tejedera-Vilafranca Ainoa , Fernández-Garibay Xiomara , Ramón-Azcón Javier
Published: June 2023

Muscular dystrophies are a heterogeneous group of highly debilitating diseases that result in muscle atrophy and weakness. The lack of suitable cellular and animal models that reproduce specific aspects of their pathophysiology is one of the reasons why there are no curative treatments for these disorders. This highlights a considerable gap between current laboratory models and clinical practice. We strongly believe that organs-on-chip could help to fill this gap. Organs-on-chip, and in particular muscles-on-chip, are microfluidic devices that integrate functional skeletal muscle tissues. Biosensors in these systems allow monitoring of muscle homeostasis or drug responses in situ. This Perspective outlines the potential of organs-on-chip as advanced models for muscular dystrophies, as well as the current challenges and future opportunities for this technology.
Translocation of cytosolic human Cdc73 to stress granules plays a role in arsenic stress-induced stabilization of p53 mRNA
Authors: Lee Hojin , Kim Tae-Hyeon , Yoo Joo-Yeon
Published: June 2023

Cells trigger the assembly of stress granules (SGs) under various stress conditions. Among the many proteins recruited to SGs are RNA-binding proteins and transcription regulators. Here, we report the translocation of human (h)Cdc73, a component of the PAF1 transcription complex, to cytosolic SGs in response to arsenic stress. The hCdc73 protein possesses a long intrinsically disordered region (IDR) from amino acids 256–416, the presence of which is required for the translocation of hCdc73 to cytosolic SGs. The purified hCdc73 IDR formed droplets in vitro, and the light-activated assembly of hCdc73-IDR–mCherry–CRY2 was verified. For translocation of hCdc73 to SGs, physical interactions with SG carrier proteins, such as FMR1, are also needed. Previously, we reported that the cytosolic hCdc73–eEF1Bγ complex controls the stability of p53 mRNA. Under arsenic stress, selective sequestration of cytosolic hCdc73, but not eEF1Bγ (EEF1G) or p53 (TP53) mRNA, was detected. As a result, a transient increase in p53 mRNA at the post-transcriptional level was observed. In conclusion, we propose that the availability of mRNAs for stress-responsive genes can be controlled by restraining their negative regulators within SGs.
Population-specific responses in eastern oysters exposed to low salinity in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Sirovy Kyle A. , Casas Sandra M. , La Peyre Jerome F. , Kelly Morgan W.
Published: June 2023

Eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica, are facing rapid environmental changes in the northern Gulf of Mexico and can respond to these changes via plasticity or evolution. Plastic responses can immediately buffer against environmental changes, although this buffering may impact the organism's ability to evolve in subsequent generations. While plasticity and evolution are not mutually exclusive, the relative contribution and interaction between them remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the roles of plastic and evolved responses of C. virginica acclimated to low salinity using a common garden experiment with four populations exposed to two salinities. We used three transcriptomic analyses (edgeR, PERMANOVA and WGCNA) combined with physiology data to identify the effect of genotype (population), environment (salinity) and the genotype–environment interaction on both whole-organism and molecular phenotypes. We demonstrate that variation in gene expression is mainly driven by population, with relatively small changes in response to salinity. In contrast, the morphology and physiology data reveal that salinity has a larger influence on oyster performance than the population of origin. All analyses lacked signatures of the genotype×environment interaction and, in contrast to previous studies, we found no evidence for population-specific responses to low salinity. However, individuals from the highest salinity estuary displayed highly divergent gene expression from that of other populations, which could potentially drive population-specific responses to other stressors. Our findings suggest that C. virginica largely rely on plasticity in physiology to buffer the effects of low salinity, but that these changes in physiology do not rely on large persistent changes in gene expression.
13-Year Associations of Occupational and Leisure-Time Physical Activity with Cardiorespiratory Fitness in CARDIA
Authors: Quinn Tyler D. , Lane Abbi , Gabriel Kelley Pettee , Sternfeld Barbara , Jacobs David R. , Smith Peter , Gibbs Bethany Barone
Published: June 2023

Purpose

Differential effects on fitness are hypothesized to contribute to the opposing health effects of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and occupational physical activity (OPA). As such, this study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of fitness with LTPA and OPA.

Methods

This study examined fitness associations with LTPA and OPA across 13 years in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study (years 7 [baseline], 10, 15, and 20 [follow-up] exams). Fitness was measured at baseline and follow-up via symptom-limited maximal graded exercise test (GXT) duration (seconds) while LTPA and OPA were self-reported during each exam. Baseline and follow-up cross-sectional associations of LTPA (low, medium, high) and OPA (0, 1-6, and ≥ 6 months with OPA) with fitness were examined using linear regression. Longitudinal linear regression examined associations between 13-year LTPA (low, medium, or high) and OPA (no, decreasing, or increasing) trajectories with fitness at follow-up, adjusted for baseline values. All models adjusted for center, sex, race, age, education, smoking history, alcohol intake, resting blood pressure, diabetes status, and body mass index. Stratified analyses examined associations by sex (female/male), race (Black/White), and LTPA groups.

Results

Compared to low, medium and high LTPA were positively associated with fitness in all analyses (p < 0.001). Reporting 1-6 or ≥ 6 months with OPA was negatively associated with fitness in cross-sectional follow-up models (β = -15.6 and -15.4 respectively, p ≤ 0.01). Longitudinally, those with increasing OPA had lower follow-up fitness compared to no OPA (β = -16.41, p < 0.01). Negative associations of OPA with fitness were not meaningfully different across sex and race groups. Significant LTPA by OPA interactions were observed (p < 001).

Conclusions

Physical activity research and public health promotion should consider domain-specific associations on cardiovascular health.
Oğuzhan Bilgin (Ed.), Kültürel İktidar, Diplomasi Vakfı Yayınları, 2022, 394 s.
Authors: Sarıköse Meryem
Published: June 2023

Bu yazı Oğuzhan Bilgin'in yayına hazırladığı Kültürel İktidar isimli eseri değerlendirmektedir.
Mehdilik Temelli Yeni Dini Hareket Olarak “Darul Erkam”
Authors: Güngör Özcan , Albakır Zeynep Tuğba
Published: June 2023

Toplumda farklı dini yapılanmalar, kaos ve kriz durumundan faydalanarak artmakta; bilhassa mehdici dini hareketler, geleceğe dair ümidini yitiren kesimlere daha mutlu yarınlar için vaatler vermektedir. Bu bağlamda Malezya temelli Darul Erkam dini grubu da üyelerinin değişik sosyal hizmet temelli ihtiyaçlarını gidererek yola çıkmış sufi karakterli bir hareket olarak artan gücü sonrası ülkede siyasal roller oynamak istemiştir. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın konusu, yeni dini hareket olarak Darul Erkam grubunun sosyolojik olarak incelenmesidir. Amacı ise bu dini grubu yeni dini hareketler bağlamında grubun kimliği, ben algısı, teşkilat ve kurumları ile toplumsal alanda görünür oldukları kimi dini uygulama ve fikirleriyle ele almaktır. Çalışma makro perspektiften dolaylı gözlem tekniğine uygun olarak yürütülmüştür. Çalışmada, yeni dini hareketler özelliği gösteren Darul Erkam’ın insanların yoksunluklarını dile getirerek kazandığı manevi gücü belirli bir zaman sonra siyaset, ticaret gibi çeşitli maddi alanlara taşıdığı; söz konusu taşıma süreçlerinin grubu devlet ve toplum nezdinde zor durumda bıraktığı görülmüştür.
Class, Family, Income and Wealth: Farming and Non-Farming Landowners in the Occupational and Social Class Orders in Turkey
Authors: Sönmez Abdulkerim
Published: June 2023

This study presents the trajectory of changes in land ownership and land use and of the differences observed since the mid-1990s in the average amount of annual disposable income (and of wealth) within and between farming and non-farming landowning households in Turkey. The study makes use of the data sets of the Household Budget Surveys conducted by the Turkish Institute of Statistics (TUIK) in 1994, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2017. The data sets have been analysed in connection with four main themes: (i) the patterns of structural change in landownership and land use, (ii) the patterns of structural change in the locations of farming and non-farming landowners in the occupational and social class orders, (iii) the patterns of changes and the persistence of differences in the average amounts of annual disposable incomes and wealth within and between the social classes of farming and non-farming landowners and (iv) the effect of family type on the differences of income and wealth. The results indicate that Turkish agrarian structures have undergone significant structural changes in the last quarter of a century, and there are persisting and significant differences of income (and of wealth) at the national level as well as among farming and non-farming landowning households. However, the same kind of differences do not hold true for differences in the average amount of farm land owned. On the contrary, these differences have strong associations with family type among farming as well as non-farming households.
The Mediators of Collegial Solidarity on Job Performance: A Relational Study in the Education Sector
Authors: Karataş İbrahim Hakan , Çankır Bilal
Published: June 2023

One of the distinguishing features of educational institutions is that the learning and teaching processes that are at their core are mostly carried out by expert educators independently on their own in the classroom. This state of independence and solitude causes collegial solidarity to emerge as a more important issue for educational institutions when compared to other institutions. This study examines the mediators of the relationship between educators’ collegial solidarity and job performance. This study examines the mediating roles of three individual variables (i.e., thriving at work, self-efficacy, and work engagement) and three institutional variables (i.e., collegial relations, administrative support, and organizational climate) have on the relationship between educators’ collegial solidarity and job performance using data collected from a total of 766 participants working at educational institutions. It has been determined that institutional and individual variables have a mediating effect in the relationship between educators’ colleague solidarity and job performance. It was observed that institutional variables had a weaker mediating effect than individual variables in this effect. This result shows that the unique nature of the education profession reveals a different structure in terms of the variables examined in the research.
Doğrudan Yabancı Sermaye Yatırımı Girişlerinin Belirleyicilerine Teorik Bir Yaklaşım: Yükselen Piyasa Ekonomileri Üzerine
Authors: Gök Adem
Published: June 2023

Yapılacak analizde doğrudan yabancı yatırımların hangi faktörler tarafından belirlendiğini ortaya koymak için temel ve motivasyon faktörleri ayrımının yapıldığı bir teorik çerçeve ortaya koyulmuştur. Temel hipotez, temel faktör(ler) sağlandığı takdirde en az bir motivasyon faktörünü sağlayan ülkelere doğrudan yabancı yatırım girişi olacağıdır. Yükselen piyasa ekonomileri için doğrudan yabancı yatırımların girişini etkileyen faktörler 1996-2018 dönemi için Sistem Genelleştirilmiş Momentler Metodu ile analiz edilmiştir. Temel faktörler olan yönetişim kalitesi ve beşerî sermayedeki artışın doğrudan yabancı yatırımları artırdığı, fiziki altyapı ve finansal gelişimin ise doğrudan yabancı yatırımları azalttığı bulunmuştur. Fiziki altyapının temel faktör değil motivasyon faktörü olduğu göz önüne alınmakta, dolayısıyla yabancı yatırımcılar veya çok uluslu şirketler fiziki altyapısı yeterince gelişmemiş ülkeleri hedef almakta ve fiziki altyapı sektörüne doğrudan yabancı yatırım yapmaktadırlar. Benzer şekilde finansal gelişmişliğin temel faktör değil motivasyon faktörü olduğu, dolayısıyla yabancı yatırımcıların veya çok uluslu şirketler finansal sektörü yeterince gelişmemiş ülkeleri hedef almakta ve bu sektöre doğrudan yabancı yatırım yapmaktadırlar. Ayrıca, uluslararası ticaret ve tarife oranlarındaki artışın da doğrudan yabancı yatırım girişlerini artırdığı bulunmuştur.
Curriculum renewal in greek taught postgraduate translation courses
Authors: Σαχίνης Μιχαήλ
Published: June 2023

Η παρούσα έρευνα εξετάζει την κατάρτιση μεταφραστών στην Ελλάδα, με απώτερο σκοπό την παροχή προτάσεων για την αναθεώρηση των προγραμμάτων σπουδών μετάφρασης στην Ελλάδα. Είναι αυτονόητο ότι ένα πρόγραμμα σπουδών μετάφρασης στοχεύει σε μεγάλο βαθμό στην επαγγελματική επιμόρφωση και, γι' αυτό, στην τάξη γίνεται προσπάθεια προσομοίωσης επαγγελματικών πρακτικών. Ως εκ τούτου, οι απαιτήσεις της τοπικής αγοράς θα πρέπει να εντοπιστούν και να ενσωματωθούν στο πρόγραμμα σπουδών μετάφρασης εάν οι μεταφραστικές σχολές επιθυμούν να παράγουν πλήρως καταρτισμένους μεταφραστές και όχι ερασιτέχνες. Συνεπώς, ο εντοπισμός και η ανάλυση της μεταφραστικής αγοράς στην Ελλάδα ήταν ένας από τους πρωταρχικούς στόχους της τρέχουσας ερευνητικής εργασίας. Για το σκοπό αυτό, πραγματοποιήθηκε έρευνα με ερωτηματολόγιο που απευθύνθηκε σε εσωτερικούς υπαλλήλους μεταφραστικών εταιρειών στην Ελλάδα. Ένας άλλος όχι λιγότερο σημαντικός στόχος ήταν η διερεύνηση των αναγκών και των προσδοκιών των φοιτητών. Σύμφωνα με την τρέχουσα πρακτική των κύκλων σπουδών κατάρτισης μεταφραστών, πλέον βρίσκεται στο επίκεντρο ο φοιτητής και όχι ο διδάσκοντας, όπως συνέβαινε στο παρελθόν. Επομένως, εάν σκοπεύουμε να δημιουργήσουμε ένα ολοκληρωμένο πρόγραμμα σπουδών, οι ανάγκες των φοιτητών δεν μπορούν να αγνοηθούν. Αντίθετα, θα πρέπει να διερευνηθούν προσεκτικά, προκειμένου να διαπιστωθεί τι είναι αυτό που περιμένουν να μάθουν οι εκπαιδευόμενοι σε ένα μεταφραστικό πρόγραμμα σπουδών, αλλά και γιατί αποφάσισαν να σπουδάσουν μετάφραση. Και για αυτόν τον σκοπό πραγματοποιήθηκε έρευνα με ερωτηματολόγιο. Οι ερωτηθέντες δεν ήταν μόνο φοιτητές, αλλά και εκπαιδευτές, καθώς και οι δύο ομάδες αποτελούν εξίσου σημαντικά μέρη στην τάξη της μετάφρασης. Τα δεδομένα που προέκυψαν από τις έρευνες των ερωτηματολογίων για την αγορά μετάφρασης και τις ανάγκες των φοιτητών, σε συνδυασμό με μια ενδελεχή εξέταση της σχετικής βιβλιογραφίας για την εκπαίδευση μεταφραστών, παρείχαν πολύτιμες πληροφορίες που χρησίμευσαν ως εφαλτήριο για να γίνουν συγκεκριμένες προτάσεις σχετικά με το πώς θα μπορούσε να εκσυγχρονιστεί το πρόγραμμα σπουδών μετάφρασης στην Ελλάδα, καθώς και για το πώς η μεταφραστική αγορά και οι ανάγκες των φοιτητών θα μπορούσαν να ευθυγραμμιστούν με τους συνολικούς στόχους ενός προγράμματος σπουδών μετάφρασων.
Coralligenous cliffs: distribution and extent along the Tuscany coasts and spatial variability of the associated assemblages
Authors: PIAZZI LUIGI , CECCHI ENRICO , CINTI MARIA FRANCESCA , MARINO GIACOMO , NICASTRO ANDREA , PACCIARDI LORENZO , PERTUSATI MARCO , RIA MICHELA , DE BIASI ANNA MARIA
Published: June 2023

Coralligenous reefs are the main biogenic constructions of the Mediterranean Sea. The two main coralligenous morphologies are cliffs and platforms. Coralligenous cliffs mostly develop in shallower waters (about 20-50 m) on vertical/sub vertical rocky substrates. Coralligenous platforms are mostly distributed on horizontal substrates below 40-50 m depth on detritic bottoms and rocky outcrops of the continental shelf. The present study aims at contributing to the knowledge of coralligenous cliffs through the assessment of their distribution and extent in a wide geographic zone of northwestern Mediterranean Sea, focusing on the structure and the spatial variability of the associated assemblages. To achieve these objectives, coralligenous cliffs of Tuscany coasts were mapped through Multibeam and Remotely Operated Vehicles. The area of coralligenous cliffs was also manually calculated for each study site using linear extent and bathymetric range of the habitat. In addition, the structure of the associated assemblages was investigated by a multifactorial sampling design taking into account spatial scales ranging from meters to tens of kilometres. Coralligenous cliffs were present in all the study sites, with a linear extent of about 20% of Tuscany’s rocky coastline and an area of about 20% of the Tuscan coralligenous reefs. The difference between data manually calculated and those obtained by Quantum- GIS software was about 33% of the total area. A continental-to-island gradient and a latitudinal gradient were the main factors driving the structure of the associated assemblages. Results highlighted that coralligenous cliffs represent a considerable part of circalittoral biogenic habitat, suggesting that their relevance may be greater than what normally emerges from seabed mapping and that they should be considered separately in monitoring programs, impact assessment studies and management plans.
New combinations of two Pseudobranchiomma species (Annelida: Sabellidae): The difficulty in establishing a boundary layer among genera within the Sabellinae
Authors: PUTIGNANO MATTEO , ÇINAR MELIH ERTAN , PELAPRAT CORINNE , GIANGRANDE ADRIANA
Published: June 2023

Due to the presence of companion chaetae on the thoracic notopodia, a feature unnoticed on the material of the original description, the species Pseudobranchiomma tarantoensis (Knight-Jones & Giangrande, 2003) and P. marmarensis (Çinar & Giangrande, 2018) are here transferred to different genera; the former to the genus Sabella Linnaeus, 1767 and the latter to Bispira Krøyer, 1856. A discussion on the boundary existing among the genera belonging to the clade Sabellinae is made, underlying the importance of the thoracic uncini shape, which shows consistency with species separation from a molecular point of view.
The genome sequence of the greater pipefish, Syngnathus acus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Scott-Somme Kesella , McTierney Sean , Brittain Rachel , Perry Frances , Brenen Mitchell ,   Marine Biological Association Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: June 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual Syngnathus acus (the greater pipefish; Chordata; Actinopteri; Syngnathiformes; Syngnathidae). The genome sequence is 359.2 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 22 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.5 kilobases in length.
11 Małopolska Brygada Obrony Terytorialnej: Współczesność – historia – tradycja
Authors: Grott Olgierd
Published: June 2023

The book has several fundamental goals to achieve. The first one is to comprehensively present the 11 MBOT as a modern and dynamically developing military unit. Another is to show holistically the elements that build the ethos of the 11 MBOT through creating collective memory and cultivating traditions. The publication also aims to encourage readers to become better acquainted with the activities of the 11 MBOT operating in Małopolska, its patron General Leopold Okulicki, nom de guerre “Niedźwiadek,” and the units of the AK “Żelbet” Group, whose tradition the brigade has inherited.
The Implementation of CAD/CAM Technology at Schools of Dentistry: A Short Communication
Authors: Fernandes Gustavo Vicentis Oliveira , NassaniNassani Leonardo Mohamad
Published: June 2023

This short communication aimed to acquire and transmit information about inserting CAD/CAM technology in the dental school’s curriculum to better prepare dental students for new approaches. The CAD/CAM system implementation has occurred slowly in the dental curriculum at universities. In 2012, authors evaluated the use of CEREC, showing an educational tool impacting the cost-effectivity for patients. A similar result was found in 2013, with an appreciation of the marginal fit and esthetic obtained.
In 2014, CAD/CAM was incorporated into the predoctoral curriculum at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, showing good or excellent overall learning. In 2017, a CAD/CAM system was implemented at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry’s predoctoral implant program, which had an increased preference and proportion of implant restorations made digitally. In 2018, a German dental school used CAD/CAM in the curriculum of prosthetic education, obtaining a clear tendency for the use
of this technology. In 2023, pre-doctoral dental students in the U.S.A. received a questionnaire that significantly improved their knowledge and attitude
to using this technology; otherwise, student satisfaction was non-significant. In conclusion, integrating CAD/CAM technology into the curriculum
has become an essential component of modern dental education.
Dilemmas and Opportunities in Dentistry in the Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Sultan Amina , Juneja Akanksha
Published: June 2023

On March 21, 2020, the "Janta Curfew" was enforced in India and extended in three parts, restricting all movement. Due to the lack of physical medical services available during that time, the suffering of people with various oral conditions increased. There was an essential lag in this face-toface treatment during the lockdown, and the dental treatment of children declined the most among all age groups. The altered stress-related sleep patterns in younger children led parents to use faulty methods to promote sleep more frequently, such as bottle-feeding children with fermentable liquids like milk rather than honey or sugar-laden pacifiers. These actions increased their vulnerability to developing early childhood caries (ECC). The COVID-19 pandemic provides a reason for dentistry to move from a surgical intervention-based approach to that emphasising prevention and associated with the decreased aerosol generation, such as selective carious tissue excavation, sealants, resin infiltration, Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) application, and Hall technique. The current scenario should also prompt the researchers to do additional research applying the pandemic "shock" to dentistry to systematically explore how treatment delays affect dental health and overall well-being.
Powerful and Extremely Rugged
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: June 2023

The Ryzen Embedded V1000 processor, when combined with rugged COM Express (RCE) modules, can be used in extreme conditions and safety-critical applications, as Maximilian Kolpak explains
Peekaboo, I See You
Authors: Grylls Bethan
Published: June 2023

TENABLE RESEARCH UNCOVERS CYBER VULNERABILITY THAT WOULD ENABLE CYBERCRIMINALS HACK-VIDEO-SURVEILLANCE.
Next Generation Power Analyser
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: June 2023

YOKOGAWA HAS UNVEILED A NEW PRECISION ANALYSER, TARGETING DEVELOPERS OF ENERGY-EFFICIENT SYSTEMS
Getting a Slice of 5G Action
Authors: Walko John
Published: June 2023

With the emergence of 5G, mobile groups are beginning to edge towards network slicing as they look to provide differentiated services
Negative Campaign
Authors: Edwards Chris
Published: June 2023

Can a transient effect rescue silicon power scaling?
IIot Collaboration
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: June 2023

A new industry collaboration looks to deliver wireless communication solutions suitable for industrial and commercial IoT markets.
Affordable Depth Sensing
Authors: Tyler Neil
Published: June 2023

VIA AND LUCID LOOK TO DELIVER AI-BASED DEPTH SENSING CAPABILITIES TO CAMERAS. NEIL TYLER REPORTS
An Issue of Trust
Authors: Grylls Bethan
Published: June 2023

If fully autonomous vehicles are ever set to become a reality, we need to start finding answers to some ‘impossible’ questions.
Parasite roundup for 2023
Authors: Wright Ian
Published: June 2023

Increasing numbers of imported rescue cats and dogs have been seen over the past few years with an associated risk of exotic pathogens entering the UK. This article provides an update on the parasitic infections seen in UK cats and dogs, as a result of changes in climate, habitat and movement of pets.
Cooperative care for companion dogs: emotional health and wellness
Authors: Jones Erin
Published: June 2023

Traditionally, humans treated their companion dogs with absolute authority. Furthermore, much of human behaviour towards dogs is cloaked in myths and driven by human-centric labels such as ‘good,’ ‘bad,’ ‘stubborn’ or ‘friendly’ to describe behaviours, emotions, traits or personalities. This has meant that companion dogs have little, if any, autonomy or choice in what happens to them, and this can be traumatic and emotionally damaging. However, providing dogs with the opportunity to make choices when and where it is safe and appropriate to do so may improve their optimism and is part of a clear two-way system of communication between humans and dogs. This translates to reduced stress and enhanced positive welfare that includes their emotional wellness. Cooperative care is a training protocol that provides some measure of predictability and clarity. It removes ambiguity and thus reduces stress from handling. Because it allows the animal to choose to participate or not, it builds trust and grants for some degree of bodily autonomy. The practical applications have additional effects on overall wellness and also reduce the chances of aggressive behaviours that may lead to human injury and veterinary care can be improved, with benefits to the dog, staff and clients.
Transient Pseudohypoaldosteronism: A Rare Cause of Severe Hyponatremia in a Baby
Authors: D’Amico F. , Pomi A. Li , Busceti D. , Zirilli G. , Salzano G. , Cucinotta U. , Cassone C.M. , Vazzana G.F. , Valenzise M.
Published: June 2023

Hyponatremia and dehydration in children represent a medical emergency due to a variety of underlying illness. Other than an evidence of gastroenteritis with diarrhea and vomiting (which is the major cause of hypoosmolar hyponatremia in pediatric age), other causes should be considered, especially if there is evidence of hyperkalemia and high sodium fraction excretion (FENa), like iatrogenic causes (diuretic excess), transient or genetic abnormalities of the renal mineralocorticoid pathway, syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), acute renal failure, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).

Here we present a case of transient pseudohypoaldosteronism in a 2 months old baby secondary to urinary tract infection, who presented with a history of poor sucking, fever and dehydration.
Policy coordination and integration in local government: perspectives on barriers
Authors: De Wulf Nicolai , Voets Joris , Molenveld Astrid
Published: June 2023

The topic of policy integration has become an important component of several distinct lines of policy research. However, the concept of policy integration is notoriously difficult to specify and observe. This article provides valuable insights that explore the subjectivity of responses by political and administrative officials at the local level charged with policy integration. In response to its central question: ‘How do local politicians and civil servants perceive politico-administrative barriers facing policy coordination and integration?’ the study reveals political and managerial perceptions of key politicians and civil servants in local governments about the barriers to achieving policy integration.

By contrast with other studies involving politico-administrative relations, it draws on a broader institutional context, inclusive of the complex and dynamic environment and local level environment. Its findings show that significant barriers to coordination and integration continue to limit the policy coordination and integration needed to address complex societal challenges.

Using Q methodology, three perspectives emerge which provide crucial insights into the main barriers preventing integration. These findings adeptly depict the complex relationship between vertical, hierarchical relationships between politicians and bureaucrats, and the requirement for a more horizontal, consensual relationship in order to meet crosscutting societal challenges.

In this way, the article offers a significant contribution to the scholarship on policy integration.
Photon-pair production at the nanoscale with hybrid nonlinear/plasmonic antennas
Authors: Laurent Guillaume , Mathew Sandy , Chauvet Nicolas , Nogues Gilles , Drezet Aurélien , Bachelier Guillaume
Published: June 2023

Reducing a nonlinear photon pair source to the nanoscale entails drastic reduction in efficiency and thus requires better tools for its evaluation and optimization. In this context, we develop a formalism for the investigation of spontaneous parametric downconversion in hybrid plasmonic structures that combine plasmonic resonances and intrinsic nonlinearity of a nonlinear medium. Combining quantum and numerical approaches, we quantitatively evaluate photon pair correlation for a realistic experimental configuration. We thereby show that hybrid structures embedding a nanocrystal and plasmonic antennas allow for a 105-fold increase in pair production rate in comparison with a single nanocrystal, thus displaying an efficiency close to the best nanoscale sources to date.