bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing regional logistics in times of crisis: a COVID-19 case study
Authors: Durugbo Christopher M. , Almahamid Soud M. , Budalamah Lulwa H. , Al-Jayyousi Odeh R. , BendiMerad Batoul
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic with unique regional logistics management (RLM) challenges to respond to the chaos created by the crisis and to restore normality for operations and supply chains in home nations. The purpose of this article is to explore RLM in times of crisis from the perspective of public authorities responsible for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The article also discusses the significance of crisis-driven RLM for humanitarian logistics and supply chain (HLSC) management.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded on an inductive case study logic and guided by a constructivist perspective, this research involves semi-structured interviews with 15 managers and strategists responsible for the RLM of COVID-19 to capture lessons learnt so far from mitigating the transmission and spread of COVID-19. Underpinning the research is a conceptual RLM model premised on coordination, communication, and containment mechanisms (the 3Cs of crisis-driven logistics), as crisis response.

Findings

The study finds that the triggering of regional logistics in times of crisis for the COVID-19 case involves taskforce teams with centralisation for crisis readiness, information infrastructure with digitalisation for crisis protocols, and capacity calculations with orchestration for crisis scenarios. The study also finds that navigating the challenges for the 3Cs of crisis-driven logistics entails forward-thinking leadership for culture-based commitments, first-hand clarity for compliance-based campaigns, and far-reaching solidarity for compassion-based contributions.

Originality/value

This article addresses the gap in knowledge on RLM and potential priorities that underpin crisis-driven RLM strategies for HLSCs. The research is original in its argument for regional perspectives on logistics strategies that contribute to the “viability” and “integrity” of HLSCs. The research also uniquely focuses on RLM in times of crisis and proposes a conceptual RLM model of strategies for enhancing HLSCs.
Stochastic inventory-routing problem with lateral transshipment for perishable product
Authors: Fattahi Parviz , Tanhatalab Mehdi
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to design a supply chain network in an uncertain environment while exists two options for distribution of the perishable product and production lot-sizing is concerned.

Design/methodology/approach

Owing to the complexity of the mathematical model, a solution approach based on a Lagrangian relaxation (LR) heuristic is developed which provides good-quality upper and lower bounds.

Findings

The model output is discussed through various examples. The introduction of some enhancements and using some heuristics results in better outputs in the solution procedure.

Practical implications

This paper covers the modeling of some real-world problems in which demand is uncertain and managers face making some concurrent decisions related to supply chain management, transportation and logistics and inventory control issues. Furthermore, considering the perishability of product in modeling makes the problem more practically significant as these days there are many supply chains handling dairy and other fresh products.

Originality/value

Considering uncertainty, production, transshipment and perishable product in the inventory-routing problem makes a new variant that has not yet been studied. The proposed novel solution is based on the LR approach that is enhanced by some heuristics and some valid inequalities that make it different from the current version of the LR used by other studies.
Early COVID-19 policy response on healthcare equity prices
Authors: Gurrib Ikhlaas
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the implementation of the short selling ban policy imposed by the Italian stock exchange on health-care stock prices, as a tool to mitigate COVID-19 price effects. Important contributions are in terms of assessing the effect of the temporary short selling ban on restricted health-care stocks; the effect of COVID-19 cases and crude oil price volatility onto health-care stocks; and whether COVID-19 resulted in a change in the risk and average stock price of health-care stocks.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involves impulse responses to capture the shock of the short selling ban onto health-care stocks, and Markov switching regimes to capture the effect of COVID-19 onto the risk and prices in the health-care industry. Daily data from 9 November 2018 till 23 December 2020 is used.

Findings

Findings suggest there were significant changes in average prices in health-care technology and health-care services stocks before, during and after the short selling ban. Shocks to the number of COVID-19 cases and crude oil price volatility impacted health-care stocks but lasted only for a few days. While daily changes in the number of COVID-19 cases impacted some health-care stocks in the presence of a two-state Markov regime, insignificant coefficients and relatively low duration suggest that the short selling policy did not significantly change the average price and risk in health-care stocks to explain a two-state regime in the health-care industry.

Research limitations/implications

Insignificant coefficients in a two-state Markov regime reinforce that short-selling policies have a short-lasting effect onto health-care equity prices. The findings are limited by the duration of the short selling policy, the pandemic event and the health-care industry.

Originality/value

This is the first study to look at the impact of early COVID-19 and short selling ban policy on health-care stocks.
Institutions and technology in the value co-creation process of restaurant consumers: a service-dominant logic perspective
Authors: Scarlett Gabriella , Reksoprawiro Ricky , Amelia Novi , Wibowo Alexander Joseph Ibnu
Published: June 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the influence of institutions and technology on value co-creation outcomes. These outcomes include strategic benefits, value-in-context and novel operant resources. The problem in this study is analyzed based on the perspective of service-dominant logic or the service ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data collection was carried out using a questionnaire through an online survey. All indicators are measured using a seven-point Likert scale. The exploratory factor analysis technique was applied to test the construct validity. We obtain data from 358 McDonald's restaurant consumers. Furthermore, nine hypotheses were tested using simple and multiple linear regression.

Findings

The results of this study proved that the nine proposed hypotheses were not rejected. Technology has been shown to significantly influence institutions, and both institutions and technology have also been shown to influence strategic benefits. Furthermore, institutions, technology, strategic benefits and novel operant resources are shown to influence value-in-context. Finally, institutions and technology are proven to influence novel operant resources.

Research limitations/implications

The research focused solely on the fast-food restaurant sector of Indonesia, and thus, the results may not be applicable to other service sectors. Manager engagement is needed in the value co-creation process and the sustainability of the service ecosystem. Furthermore, technology and institutions need to be built through dialogical interactions and shared understanding to more effectively implement the corporate strategy.

Originality/value

This research offers several novel contributions: the design of new instruments and an empirical model. Besides, the authors analyze several relatively new constructs, such as technology, institutions, novel operant resources, strategic benefits and value-in-context.
Technological advances in stable isotope analysis provide ever more insights into animal ecology
Authors: Bortoluzzi Jenny , Darby Jamie , Jackson Andrew L.
Published: June 2021

In Focus: Whiteman J. P., Newsome S. D., Bustamante P., Cherel Y., Hobson K. A. (2021). Quantifying capital versus income breeding: New promise with stable isotope measurements of individual amino acids. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90, 1408–1418. The use of bulk stable isotope analysis (SIA) has become a staple in the field of ecology since the 1980s. This approach has proven its utility, but comes with limitations rooted in assumptions and confounding factors. Compound‐specific SIA (CS‐SIA) has the potential to address questions out of reach of bulk SIA by providing information on physiological pathways as well as dietary sources of consumer isotopes. Whiteman et al. (2021) provide an excellent example of the power of CS‐SIA using amino acid stable isotopes to quantify the extent of capital versus income breeding involved in emperor penguin egg production. By doing so, they reframe an important life‐history trait as a spectrum, rather than a dichotomy. This showcases the use of CS‐SIA as a tool for investigating the resource allocation strategies employed by this species, and the potential for this technique to untangle the life‐history strategies of a broad range of species.
Recovery of a cultivation grazer: A mechanism for compensatory growth of Thalassia testudinum in a Caribbean seagrass meadow grazed by green turtles
Authors: Gulick Alexandra G. , Johnson Robert A. , Pollock Clayton G. , Hillis‐Starr Zandy , Bolten Alan B. , Bjorndal Karen A.
Published: June 2021

Recovery of green turtles (Chelonia mydas), mega‐herbivores that consume seagrasses, is resulting in dramatic ecosystem‐wide changes as meadows are returned to a natural grazed state. The green turtle grazing strategy, with long‐term cultivation of meadows and high foraging site fidelity, is distinct from other terrestrial and aquatic mega‐herbivores and may affect seagrass compensatory growth responses. Identifying the mechanisms of compensatory growth responses to grazing is essential to understand the functioning of plant systems under natural grazing regimes.

In a naturally grazed Caribbean seagrass ecosystem, we identify a mechanism for compensatory growth responses to grazing by evaluating relationships between Thalassia testudinum morphology and growth, grazing intensity, and canopy light dynamics in grazed and ungrazed areas.

The morphological characteristics that explain variability in T. testudinum growth differed between grazed and ungrazed areas. In grazed areas, T. testudinum leaf linear growth, leaf area growth, and productivity:biomass (P:B) significantly increased as above‐ground biomass decreased; P:B also increased with shoot density. Mass growth in grazed areas exhibited an increasing trend with shoot density and was maintained above a threshold of 2.5 g dry mass m−2 above‐ground biomass. In ungrazed areas, trends for mass growth and P:B with above‐ground biomass and shoot density were opposite to those in grazed areas. In grazed areas, shoot density significantly increased with grazing intensity while above‐ground biomass decreased and leaf area index (LAI) was not affected. Light availability at canopy height was greater in grazed areas than in ungrazed areas, and canopy light attenuation increased with shoot density in grazed areas.

Synthesis. Grazing removes above‐ground biomass, which increases light availability and stimulates leaf growth and turnover (i.e. compensatory growth). Shoot density increases with grazing intensity, maintaining LAI and canopy light harvesting potential. This maximizes the potential for leaf photosynthetic activity and provides the plant with the capacity to sustain mass growth and support a compensatory growth response to grazing. This study presents novel insight for assessing the underlying mechanisms of plant compensatory growth responses to cultivation grazing and proposes potential thresholds that may be used to evaluate the sustainability of in situ grazing pressure by a recovering mega‐herbivore.
Policosanol attenuates Pi‐induced calcification via AMPK‐mediated INSIGs expression in rat VSMCs
Authors: Kim Kyeong‐Min , Kim Chang‐Hyun , Cho Kyung‐Hyun , Jang Won‐Gu
Published: June 2021

Policosanol is a hypocholesterolemic derived from sugar cane and corn that downregulates blood cholesterol levels. It can further lower blood pressure and reduce liver inflammation. Policosanol can also affect vascular calcification, however, its molecular mechanisms are not well understood. This study investigated the effect of policosanol on vascular calcification and its molecular mechanism. Policosanol decreased the expression of inorganic phosphate (Pi)‐induced osteogenic genes such as distal‐less homeobox 5 (Dlx5) and runt‐related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). In addition, following policosanol treatment, adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation increased in a time‐dependent manner. The constitutively active form of AMPK (CA‐AMPK) dramatically suppressed Pi‐induced Dlx5 and Runx2 protein levels. Inactivation of AMPK using compound C (Com. C; AMPK inhibitor) recovered policosanol‐suppressed Alizarin Red S staining levels. Insulin‐induced genes (INSIGs) were induced by CA‐AMPK, their overexpression suppressed Pi‐induced Dlx5 and Runx2 expression. Taken together, the results demonstrate that policosanol inhibits Pi‐induced vascular calcification by regulating AMPK‐induced INSIG expression in vascular smooth muscle cells.
More scientific, more ethical: The ADHD controversy and boundary‐work in Taiwan
Authors: Tseng Fan‐Tzu
Published: June 2021

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most controversial childhood psychiatric condition. With the globalisation of its diagnosis and treatment, Taiwan has followed other medically advanced countries in meeting the challenge of medicalising children's problematic behaviours and encountering the resistance discourses on ADHD. To contribute to the extant literature, this study employs the social worlds framework to decipher the relational dynamics amongst these competing discourses on ADHD, namely the mainstream psychiatry, the critiques of overdiagnosis and the antipsychiatric protest, and to suggest the links between these domestic advocacies and the relevant debates abroad. In addition, the concept of boundary‐work is used to analyse the strategies through which these collective actors pursue legitimacy for their respective claims. Based on the existing research of scientific and ethical boundary‐work, this study argues that when it comes to clinical practices fraught with uncertainties, these two seemingly distinct forms of boundary‐work may become mutually supportive in order to act as arbiters of disputes. Despite the disparity of power amongst these social worlds in this case study with seemingly predictable outcomes of the dispute, representing their heterogeneous narratives and the process of discursive struggle helps to destabilise the seemingly naturalised conceptualisation of biomedical ADHD.
‘Dark’ and ‘Clear’ Y in Medieval Welsh Orthography: Caligula versus Teilo
Authors: Sims‐Williams Patrick
Published: June 2021

A famous exception to the ‘phonetic spelling system’ of Welsh is the use of  for both /ǝ/ and the retracted high vowel /ɨ(:)/. This double use of  was almost universally adopted by c. 1330, when a grammarian labelled /ǝ/ and /ɨ/ as ‘dark y’ and ‘clear y’ and illustrated them with polysyllables such as ystyr /ˈǝstɨr/ ‘meaning’, in which the value of  was predictable from the position of  in the word. At that time the three‐way system of for /i(:)/, ‘dark’ , and ‘clear’  was two centuries old, being first attested in Braint Teilo (‘The Privilege of St Teilo’), c. 1130. Yet the ‘Teilo’ system is rarely attested before c. 1300; instead all three phonemes might be represented by , as commonly before 1100, or by ; or  might be used for /ǝ/ and/or for /ɨ(:)/, as had sometimes occurred in Old Welsh as well. This article argues that one reason, apart from scribal conservatism, for the delay in adopting the ‘Teilo’ system was its failure to distinguish the value of  in proclitics such y /ǝ/ ‘the’ and y /ɨ/ ‘his/her’ and ‘to’. For this the ultimately abortive ‘Caligula’ system (c. 1250) had offered a solution.
FROM THE SANITARY CITY TO THE CIRCULAR CITY? Technopolitics of Wastewater Restructuring in Los Angeles, California
Authors: Meilinger Valentin , Monstadt Jochen
Published: June 2021

This article follows the flow of wastewater in Los Angeles, California, from upstream treatment plants to the Pacific Ocean, to explore struggles over reconfigurations of urban wastewater flows for new policy ambitions in recycling and reuse. We show how ambitious infrastructure visions of circular urban resource management have gained force since California's most recent drought (2011−17) but clash with incumbent gravity‐fed water and sewer systems, political economy and urban geographies. Engineers navigate these path dependencies through incremental technical improvements of existing infrastructures to increase wastewater recycling. These interventions largely reproduce given infrastructure configurations and urban geographies of water and wastewater while marginalizing other voices in struggles over water circularity and stymying critical debate about more progressive change. We argue that novel infrastructural practices are deeply political and normative and can be explained by four dimensions of the ‘technopolitics’ of wastewater restructuring in Los Angeles: materiality and inherited topologies of infrastructures; circularity discourses; entrenched knowledge cultures; and institutional orders of infrastructure management and public control mechanisms of infrastructure investments and tariffs. We conclude by discussing how these four dimensions of an emerging technopolitical regime of wastewater recycling expand concepts of power that explain urban metabolic change.
Using a situative perspective to gain a deeper understanding of how children’s strengths are related to social context
Authors: Bozic Nick , Lawthom Rebecca , Murray Janice , Oldfield Jeremy
Published: June 2021

Over the last twenty‐five years, there has been an increase in the availability of published checklists and schedules which allow practitioners to identify the strengths of children and young people, including those with special educational needs. While helpful, these assessments are unable to tell us about the nature of contextual factors which support the expression of particular strengths. In this study, we took a situative perspective to explore how specific classroom practices facilitated strengths. A multiple case study design was used to analyse practices nominated by three children/young people with special educational needs. Qualitative analysis revealed how aspects of practice afforded the opportunity for each child to participate in ways which they equated with their strengths. This style of strength‐based assessment led to a more sustained examination of supportive practice features than would have been achieved through interview alone.
Mainstream teachers’ concerns about inclusive education for children with special educational needs and disability in England under pre‐pandemic conditions
Authors: Warnes Eleanor , Done Elizabeth J. , Knowler Helen
Published: June 2021

A survey‐based investigation of teachers’ concerns was conducted the following adaptation of Sharma and Desai’s ‘Concerns about Integrated Education (CIE) Scale’ two decades ago. The terminology was adjusted and ‘integrated’ became ‘inclusive’, and ‘Special Educational Needs and / or Disability (SEND)’ replaced ‘disability’ in a novel ‘Concerns about Inclusive Education Scale’. A purposive sample included the public and private education sectors. An online questionnaire was completed in April 2020 (n = 93) by teachers (66: state mainstream, 18: independent, 5: UK‐based international schools, 3: SEND specialists, 1: alternative provision). Statistical analysis of closed questions aimed to identify teachers’ concerns about IE for children with SEND and was complemented by qualitative analysis of data generated through open‐ended questions. Varied understandings of what IE means and longstanding concerns were identified. The highest level of concern was evidenced around resources, specifically, funding for specialist and support staff, resources, and appropriate infrastructure. Qualitative data analysis suggested that children with SEND risk being perceived as an onerous adjunct to an already stressful ‘regular’ teaching role. Few respondents mentioned national performance monitoring and accountability regimes in this context and, instead, viewed additional paraprofessional and external support as self‐evident solutions to excessive workloads, neglecting the implications for equity in education.
Narrative and metaphors in New Zealand’s efforts to eliminate COVID‐19
Authors: Kearns Robin
Published: June 2021

This commentary considers the ways in which spatialised metaphors were mobilised within a larger narrative in the quest to eliminate COVID‐19 in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In doing so, it examines the links between language and socio‐political discourse, focusing on tropes that invoke and engage with geographies of everyday life. The foundational contention is that, to a large extent, language constructs our lived reality. After reviewing scholarship linking language and disease, the commentary turns to a case study of New Zealand’s response to COVID‐19. The public health goal was to instil caution and protective practices in the population at large as a defence against transmission. The role of narrative and metaphor in daily press conferences from the Prime Minister and Director General of Health through March and April 2020 is examined by drawing on evidence from media reporting. Three key metaphors are considered: bubbles, levels, and the team, with each metaphor having spatialised implications in the popular imagination. The commentary considers perceptual and behavioural implications of this strategic use of metaphor. I speculate on the ways in which language has an agency such that, until the widespread availability of vaccine, an infectious disease can be restricted through mobilising the population.
The (ir)relevance of human resource management in independent work: Challenging assumptions
Authors: Cross David , Swart Juani
Published: June 2021

We challenge the assumption that independent workers are not relevant to or within the remit of HRM practice and theory. Traditionally, HR focusses on the management of employees within the boundaries of the organisation. Yet, this neglects the wider role that HR can and must have in the management of human work that the organisation needs yet exists beyond these boundaries. We argue for the ‘Human’ in HRM to include independent workers. We first contextualise them, highlight the reasons for neglect, and examine and provoke three key areas. We set out the taken for granted, problematise, and then show how they are relevant, look different, or could be. Through this, we provoke exactly what HR does, where it starts and finishes, and its role in a network or ecosystem rather than purely an organisation. We close by offering ways of making this happen for both theory and practice.
Clonal hematopoiesis associated with epigenetic aging and clinical outcomes
Authors: Nachun Daniel , Lu Ake T. , Bick Alexander G. , Natarajan Pradeep , Weinstock Joshua , Szeto Mindy D. , Kathiresan Sekar , Abecasis Goncalo , Taylor Kent D. , Guo Xiuqing , Tracy Russ , Durda Peter , Liu Yongmei , Johnson Craig , Rich Stephen S. , Van Den Berg David , Laurie Cecilia , Blackwell Tom , Papanicolaou George J. , Correa Adolfo , Raffield Laura M. , Johnson Andrew D. , Murabito Joanne , Manson JoAnn E. , Desai Pinkal , Kooperberg Charles , Assimes Themistocles L. , Levy Daniel , Rotter Jerome I. , Reiner Alex P. , Whitsel Eric A. , Wilson James G. , Horvath Steve , Jaiswal Siddhartha ,   the NHLBI Trans‐Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed) Consortium
Published: June 2021

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is a common precursor state for blood cancers that most frequently occurs due to mutations in the DNA‐methylation modifying enzymes DNMT3A or TET2. We used DNA‐methylation array and whole‐genome sequencing data from four cohorts together comprising 5522 persons to study the association between CHIP, epigenetic clocks, and health outcomes. CHIP was strongly associated with epigenetic age acceleration, defined as the residual after regressing epigenetic clock age on chronological age, in several clocks, ranging from 1.31 years (GrimAge, p < 8.6 × 10−7) to 3.08 years (EEAA, p < 3.7 × 10−18). Mutations in most CHIP genes except DNA‐damage response genes were associated with increases in several measures of age acceleration. CHIP carriers with mutations in multiple genes had the largest increases in age acceleration and decrease in estimated telomere length. Finally, we found that ~40% of CHIP carriers had acceleration >0 in both Hannum and GrimAge (referred to as AgeAccelHG+). This group was at high risk of all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio 2.90, p < 4.1 × 10−8) and coronary heart disease (CHD) (hazard ratio 3.24, p < 9.3 × 10−6) compared to those who were CHIP−/AgeAccelHG−. In contrast, the other ~60% of CHIP carriers who were AgeAccelHG− were not at increased risk of these outcomes. In summary, CHIP is strongly linked to age acceleration in multiple clocks, and the combination of CHIP and epigenetic aging may be used to identify a population at high risk for adverse outcomes and who may be a target for clinical interventions.
Inhibition of AMPA receptors (AMPARs) containing transmembrane AMPAR regulatory protein γ‐8 with JNJ‐55511118 shows preclinical efficacy in reducing chronic repetitive alcohol self‐administration
Authors: Hoffman Jessica L. , Faccidomo Sara , Saunders Briana L. , Taylor Seth M. , Kim Michelle , Hodge Clyde W.
Published: June 2021

Background

A prominent therapeutic indication for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is reduction in chronic repetitive alcohol use. Glutamate α‐Amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs) regulate chronic alcohol self‐administration in preclinical models. Recent evidence indicates that the expression and function of AMPARs require the transmembrane AMPAR regulatory protein γ‐8 (TARP γ‐8). This study evaluated the preclinical efficacy of JNJ‐55511118, a novel, selective, high‐affinity inhibitor of TARP γ‐8‐bound AMPARs, in reducing chronic operant alcohol self‐administration.

Methods

Separate groups of male and female C57BL/6J mice (n = 8/sex/group) were trained to lever press for sweetened alcohol (9% v/v + sucrose 2% w/v) or sucrose only (2% w/v) in operant conditioning chambers using an FR‐4 schedule of reinforcement. After a 40‐day baseline, JNJ‐55511118 (0, 1, and 10 mg/kg, p.o.) was administered in randomized order 1 h before self‐administration sessions. Parameters of operant behavior including response rate, total reinforcers, and head entries in the drinking troughs were computer recorded.

Results

During baseline, responding to alcohol, but not sucrose, was greater in female than male mice. In male mice, both doses of JNJ‐55511118 decreased multiple parameters of alcohol self‐administration but did not reduce behavior‐matched sucrose‐only self‐administration. JNJ‐55511118 had no effect on sweetened alcohol or sucrose self‐administration in female mice. Subsequent tests of motor function showed that the lowest effective dose of JNJ‐55511118 (1 mg/kg) had no effect on open‐field activity in male mice.

Conclusions

This study shows for the first time that TARP γ‐8‐bound AMPARs regulate a behavioral pathology associated with addiction. The preclinical efficacy of JNJ‐55511118 in reducing alcohol self‐administration in male mice suggests that inhibition of TARP γ‐8‐bound AMPARs is a novel and highly significant neural target for developing medications to treat AUD and other forms of addiction.
Impacts of Canada's cannabis legalization on police‐reported crime among youth: early evidence
Authors: Callaghan Russell C. , Vander Heiden Julia , Sanches Marcos , Asbridge Mark , Hathaway Andrew , Kish Stephen J.
Published: June 2021

Aims

Canada's 2018 Cannabis Act allows youth (age 12–17 years) to possess up to 5 g of dried cannabis (or equivalent) for personal consumption/sharing. This study assessed whether the Cannabis Act was associated with changes in police‐reported cannabis offences among youth in Canada.

Design

Time series model using national daily criminal incident data from January 1, 2015–December 31, 2018 from the Canadian Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR‐2). Seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average time series models, stratified by sex, assessed the relations between legalization and youth cannabis‐related offences.

Setting

Canada, 2015–2018.

Cases

Police‐reported cannabis‐related offenses among youth age 12–17 years (male, n = 32 178; female, n = 9001).

Measurements

Outcomes: police‐reported cannabis‐related crimes, property crimes, and violent crimes. Covariate: calendar‐month.

Findings

For females, legalization was associated with a step‐effect decrease of 4.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.32, 5.81; P < 0.001) police‐reported cannabis‐related criminal offences per day, an effect equivalent to a 64.6% (standard error [SE] = 33.5%) reduction. For males, legalization was associated with a drop of 12.73 (95% CI = 8.82, 16.64; P < 0.001) cannabis‐related offences per day, equaling a decrease of 57.7% (SE = 22.6%). Results were inconclusive as to whether there were associations between cannabis legalization and patterns of property crimes or violent crimes.

Conclusions

Implementation of the Cannabis Act in Canada in 2018 appears to have been associated with decreases of 55%–65% in cannabis‐related crimes among male and female youth.
Pedagogical “Hands and Eyes”: Embodied Learning and the Genesis of Ethical Perception
Authors: Vossoughi Shirin , Escudé Meg , Kitundu Walter , Espinoza Manuel Luis
Published: June 2021

Drawing from a range of ethnographic information gathered within a participatory design project on after‐school learning and educational justice, this paper describes the new ways of seeing and relating that emerged when researchers and educators “examined the obvious” (Erickson 1973/84) and closely analyzed the embodied—physical, gestural, artifact‐mediated—dimensions of learning interactions. As participants co‐analyzed field notes, photographs and video recordings of educator–student interactions during making and tinkering activities, they began to notice the forms of embodied assistance that cultivated or stifled rich forms of joint activity and consider the subjective meanings this layer of experience held for participants. This emergent lens was shared through various forms of professional development and gave life to a sustained practice of intentionality and reflective intuition among educators. Our analyses contribute to prior research on embodiment by tracing the emergence of “hands and eyes” (as it was referred to by participants) as a form of ethical perception and considering how educators learned to revise their embodied actions to organize more generative learning experiences with children.
Origin and population structure of Brazilian hair sheep breeds
Authors: Paim T. P. , Paiva S. R. , de Toledo N. M. , Yamaghishi M. B. , Carneiro P. L. S. , Facó O. , de Araújo A. M. , Azevedo H. C. , Caetano A. R. , Braga R. M. , McManus C.
Published: June 2021

Brazilian hair sheep constitute a genetic diversity hotspot. These animals are found in the harsh environments of the Brazilian Northwest (semi‐arid) region. Genotypes (50K SNP chip) from seven Brazilian sheep breeds (five hair and two coarse wool types) and 87 worldwide breeds were used to test for population structure, admixture and genetic diversity. Moreover, phylogenetic trees evaluating migration events between genetic groups were built. Brazilian Somali, a fat‐tailed breed, had a close relationship with East African breeds and clustered distinctly from other Brazilian breeds. Brazilian Blackbelly and Barbados Blackbelly had a close relationship. The Morada Nova breed did not show close relationships with European or African breeds, revealing a single migration event from an Algerian hair breed. Brazilian Fat‐tail and Morada Nova share a common ancestor, but the former showed introgressions from Brazilian Somali and Afrikaner breeds, explaining the fat‐tail phenotype. The Santa Inês breed received a substantial contribution from Brazilian Bergamasca and showed an admixed origin with recent introgressions from other breeds, mainly from Suffolk. Furthermore, Brazilian Somali and Brazilian Fat‐tail are the most endangered sheep genetic resources in Brazil and should be the focus forex situconservation programs. In conclusion, Brazilian hair sheep show an African origin and are characterized by diverse genetic composition, reinforcing the need for conservation of these genetic resources, and at the same time, this highly diverse group has variability that can be used in breeding programs.
Serum and intratesticular inhibin B, AMH, and spermatogonial numbers in trans women at gender‐confirming surgery: An observational study
Authors: Schneider Florian , Dabel Jennifer , Sandhowe‐Klaverkamp Reinhild , Neuhaus Nina , Schlatt Stefan , Kliesch Sabine , Wistuba Joachim
Published: June 2021

Background

Anti‐Müllerian hormone and inhibin B are produced by Sertoli cells. Anti‐Müllerian hormone secretion indicates an immature Sertoli cell state. Inhibin B serves as a marker of male fertility. Identification of markers reflecting the presence of germ cells is of particular relevance in trans persons undergoing gender‐affirming hormone therapy in order to offer individualized fertility preservation methods.

Objectives

Serum and intratesticular inhibin B and anti‐Müllerian hormone values were assessed and related to clinical features, laboratory values, and germ cell numbers.

Materials and methods

Twenty‐two trans women from three clinics were included. As gender‐affirming hormone therapy, 10–12.5 mg of cyproterone acetate plus estrogens were administered. Height, weight, age, medication, and treatment duration were inquired by questionnaires. Serum luteinizing hormone, follicle‐stimulating hormone, testosterone, and estradiol were measured by immuno‐assays. Serum and intratesticular inhibin B and anti‐Müllerian hormone were measured by commercially available ELISAs. Spermatogonia were quantified as spermatogonia per cubic millimeter testicular tissue applying a morphometric analysis of two independent testicular cross‐sections per individual after MAGEA4 immunostaining.

Results

Patients with high inhibin B levels presented with a higher number of spermatogonia (*p < 0.05). Furthermore, mean serum inhibin B was associated with low age (*p < 0.05), low follicle‐stimulating hormone (*p < 0.05), and low testosterone (*p < 0.05). Serum anti‐Müllerian hormone, however, was not related to spermatogonial numbers. It correlated with high testosterone (*p < 0.05) and high follicle‐stimulating hormone (*p < 0.05) only. High intratesticular inhibin B was accompanied by high luteinizing hormone (*p < 0.05), high follicle‐stimulating hormone (**p < 0.01), and high testosterone levels (**p < 0.01). Higher the intratesticular anti‐Müllerian hormone levels, the longer gender‐affirming hormone therapy was administered (*p < 0.05).

Discussion and conclusion

Serum inhibin B levels indicate the presence of spermatogonia, whereas anti‐Müllerian hormone seems not to be a reliable marker concerning germ cell abundance.
The role of retinal fluid location in atrophy and fibrosis evolution of patients with neovascular age‐related macular degeneration long‐term treated in real world
Authors: Llorente‐González Sara , Hernandez Maria , González‐Zamora Jorge , Bilbao‐Malavé Valentina , Fernández‐Robredo Patricia , Saenz‐de‐Viteri Manuel , Barrio‐Barrio Jesús , Rodríguez‐Cid María José , Donate Juan , Ascaso Francisco J. , Gómez‐Ramírez Ana M. , Araiz Javier , Armadá Félix , Ruiz‐Moreno Óscar , Recalde Sergio , García‐Layana Alfredo ,   Spanish AMD group
Published: June 2021

Purpose

To assess the effect of clinical factors on the development and progression of atrophy and fibrosis in patients with neovascular age‐related macular degeneration (nAMD) receiving long‐term treatment in the real world.

Methods

An ambispective 36‐month multicentre study, involving 359 nAMD patients from 17 Spanish hospitals treated according to the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society guidelines, was designed. The influence of demographic and clinical factors, including the presence and location of retinal fluid, on best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and progression to atrophy and/or fibrosis were analysed.

Results

After 36 months of follow‐up and an average of 13.8 anti‐VEGF intravitreal injections, the average BCVA gain was +1.5 letters, and atrophy and/or fibrosis were present in 54.8% of nAMD patients (OR = 8.54, 95% CI = 5.85–12.47, compared to baseline). Atrophy was associated with basal intraretinal fluid (IRF) (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.09–3.20), whereas basal subretinal fluid (SRF) was associated with a lower rate of atrophy (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.23–0.71) and its progression (OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.26–0.75), leading to a slow progression rate (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.14–0.83). Fibrosis development and progression were related to IRF at any visit (p < 0.001). In contrast, 36‐month SRF was related to a lower rate of fibrosis (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.29–0.81) and its progression (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.31–0.81).

Conclusion

Atrophy and/or fibrosis were present in 1 of 2 nAMD patients treated for 3 years. Both, especially fibrosis, lead to vision loss. Subretinal fluid (SRF) was associated with good visual outcomes and lower rates of atrophy and fibrosis, whereas IRF yields worse visual results and a higher risk of atrophy and especially fibrosis in routine clinical practice.
Frequency and impact of childhood sexual and physical abuse on people using IAPT services
Authors: Verbist Irini Laura , Allsopp Kate , Huey Dale , Varese Filippo
Published: June 2021

Objectives

This study explored the prevalence of childhood sexual/physical abuse (CSA/CPA) as identified by practitioners in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services and clarified differences in clients’ characteristics with and without a history of CSA/CPA.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of a large dataset comprised of IAPT routine data and data from a local service evaluation reporting on clients’ presenting problems.

Results

14% of IAPT clients (n = 1,315) were identified with a record of CSA/CPA. CSA/CPA history was associated with longer duration and earlier age of onset of condition(s), greater number of presenting problems and post‐traumatic stress disorder co‐occurrence, higher intensity treatment delivery, and lower recovery rates.

Conclusions

CSA/CPA history appears as an important feature in a sizable minority of IAPT clients; further work is required to meet clients’ trauma‐related needs.

Practitioner points

A sizable minority of IAPT clients (14%) present with a history of CSA/CPA as recorded in clinical notes.

CSA/CPA history is associated with more complex and enduring presentations in IAPT clients.

The reported CSA/CPA frequency is likely to be underestimates of the actual prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences in IAPT clients.

Trauma‐informed inquiry and trauma‐specific screening tools would help practitioners to meet clients’ trauma‐related needs.
Detailing the impact of the Storegga Tsunami at Montrose, Scotland
Authors: Bateman Mark D. , Kinnaird Tim C. , Hill Jon , Ashurst Robert A. , Mohan Jenna , Bateman Rebecca B. I. , Robinson Ruth
Published: June 2021

The Storegga tsunami, dated in Norway to 8150±30 cal. years BP, hit many countries bordering the North Sea. Run‐ups of >30 m occurred and 1000s of kilometres of coast were impacted. Whilst recent modelling successfully generated a tsunami wave train, the wave heights and velocities, it under‐estimated wave run‐ups. Work presented here used luminescence to directly date the Storegga tsunami deposits at the type site of Maryton, Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It also undertook sedimentological characterization to establish provenance, and number and relative power of the tsunami waves. Tsunami model refinement used this to better understand coastal inundation. Luminescence ages successfully date Scottish Storegga tsunami deposits to 8100±250 years. Sedimentology showed that at Montrose, three tsunami waves came from the northeast or east, over‐ran pre‐existing marine sands and weathered igneous bedrock on the coastal plain. Incorporation of an inundation model predicts well a tsunami impacting on the Montrose Basin in terms of replicate direction and sediment size. However, under‐estimation of run‐up persisted requiring further consideration of palaeotopography and palaeo‐near‐shore bathymetry for it to agree with sedimentary evidence. Future model evolution incorporating this will be better able to inform on the hazard risk and potential impacts for future high‐magnitude submarine generated tsunami events.
Out‐of‐pocket and private pay in clinical genetic testing: A scoping review
Authors: Grant Peter , Langlois Sylvie , Lynd Larry D. ,   GenCOUNSEL Study, Austin Jehannine C. , Elliott Alison M.
Published: June 2021

Full coverage of the cost of clinical genetic testing is not always available through public or private insurance programs, or a public healthcare system. Consequently, some patients may be faced with the decision of whether to finance testing out‐of‐pocket (OOP), meet OOP expenses required by their insurer, or not proceed with testing. A scoping review was conducted to identify literature associated with patient OOP and private pay in clinical genetic testing. Seven databases (EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, PAIS, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the JBI Evidence‐Based Practice database) were searched, resulting in 83 unique publications included in the review. The presented evidence includes a descriptive analysis, followed by a narrative account of the extracted data. Results were divided into four groups according to clinical indication: (1) hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, (2) other hereditary cancers, (3) prenatal testing, (4) other clinical indications. The majority of studies focused on hereditary cancer and prenatal genetic testing. Overall trends indicated that OOP costs have fallen and payer coverage has improved, but OOP expenses continue to present a barrier to patients who do not qualify for full coverage.
Higher Dimensional Graphics: Conceiving Worlds in Four Spatial Dimensions and Beyond
Authors: Cavallo M.
Published: June 2021

While the interpretation of high‐dimensional datasets has become a necessity in most industries, the spatial visualization of higher‐dimensional geometry has mostly remained a niche research topic for mathematicians and physicists. Intermittent contributions to this field date back more than a century, and have had a non‐negligible influence on contemporary art and philosophy. However, most contributions have focused on the understanding of specific mathematical shapes, with few concrete applications. In this work, we attempt to revive the community's interest in visualizing higher dimensional geometry by shifting the focus from the visualization of abstract shapes to the design of a broader hyper‐universe concept, wherein 3D and 4D objects can coexist and interact with each other. Specifically, we discuss the content definition, authoring patterns, and technical implementations associated with the process of extending standard 3D applications as to support 4D mechanics. We operationalize our ideas through the introduction of a new hybrid 3D/4D videogame called Across Dimensions, which we developed in Unity3D through the integration of our own 4D plugin.
Temporally Reliable Motion Vectors for Real‐time Ray Tracing
Authors: Zeng Zheng , Liu Shiqiu , Yang Jinglei , Wang Lu , Yan Ling‐Qi
Published: June 2021

Real‐time ray tracing (RTRT) is being pervasively applied. The key to RTRT is a reliable denoising scheme that reconstructs clean images from significantly undersampled noisy inputs, usually at 1 sample per pixel as limited by current hardware's computing power. The state of the art reconstruction methods all rely on temporal filtering to find correspondences of current pixels in the previous frame, described using per‐pixel screen‐space motion vectors. While these approaches are demonstrated powerful, they suffer from a common issue that the temporal information cannot be used when the motion vectors are not valid, i.e. when temporal correspondences are not obviously available or do not exist in theory.

We introduce temporally reliable motion vectors that aim at deeper exploration of temporal coherence, especially for the generally‐believed difficult applications on shadows, glossy reflections and occlusions, with the key idea to detect and track the cause of each effect. We show that our temporally reliable motion vectors produce significantly better temporal results on a variety of dynamic scenes when compared to the state of the art methods, but with negligible performance overhead.
Semantics‐Guided Latent Space Exploration for Shape Generation
Authors: Jahan Tansin , Guan Yanran , van Kaick Oliver
Published: June 2021

We introduce an approach to incorporate user guidance into shape generation approaches based on deep networks. Generative networks such as autoencoders and generative adversarial networks are trained to encode shapes into latent vectors, effectively learning a latent shape space that can be sampled for generating new shapes. Our main idea is to enable users to explore the shape space with the use of high‐level semantic keywords. Specifically, the user inputs a set of keywords that describe the general attributes of the shape to be generated, e.g., “four legs” for a chair. Then, our method maps the keywords to a subspace of the latent space, where the subspace captures the shapes possessing the specified attributes. The user then explores only this subspace to search for shapes that satisfy the design goal, in a process similar to using a parametric shape model. Our exploratory approach allows users to model shapes at a high level without the need for advanced artistic skills, in contrast to existing methods that allow to guide the generation with sketching or partial modeling of a shape. Our technical contribution to enable this exploration‐based approach is the introduction of a label regression neural network coupled with shape encoder/decoder networks. The label regression network takes the user‐provided keywords and maps them to distributions in the latent space. We show that our method allows users to explore the shape space and generate a variety of shapes with selected high‐level attributes.