bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Professionals' perspectives on relevant approaches to psychological care in moral injury: A qualitative study
Authors: Serfioti Danai , Murphy Dominic , Greenberg Neil , Williamson Victoria
Published: June 2023

Objectives: Despite the increasing consensus that moral injury (MI) is a unique type of psychological stressor, there is an ongoing debate about best practices for psychological care. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of UK and US professionals in the field of MI investigating advances and challenges in treatment or support delivery and issues relating to treatment/support feasibility and acceptability. Methods: 15 professionals were recruited. Semi‐structured, telephone/online interviews were carried out, and transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Two interconnected themes emerged: perceived barriers to appropriate care for MI cases and recommendations for providing effective care to MI patients. Professionals highlighted the challenges that occur due to the lack of empirical experience with MI, the negligence of patients' unique individual needs and the inflexibility in existing manualised treatments. Conclusions: These findings illustrate the need to evaluate the effectiveness of current approaches and explore alternative pathways, which will effectively support MI patients in the long‐term. Key recommendations include the use of therapeutic techniques which lead to a personalised and flexible support plan to meet patients' needs, increase self‐compassion and encourage patients to reconnect with their social networks. Interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g., religious/spiritual figures), could be a valuable addition following patients' agreement.
Enhanced carbon dioxide membrane‐based absorption with amino acid solutions
Authors: Sefidi Vida Sang , Winand Inés , Luis Patricia
Published: June 2023

Background

Current technologies for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture are based on a variety of physical and chemical processes using absorption towers. Overcoming the high energy consumption of conventional absorption is essential to develop a process that makes sense in terms of CO2 captured versus CO2 emitted. In this work, we propose the use of a membrane contactor that allows an efficient gas–liquid contact and an aqueous alkaline solution with several amino acids (i.e. arginine, methionine, valine, serine, 6‐aminohexanoic acid) as the absorption liquid.

Results

Results show clear differences in absorption performance among the studied amino acids, with arginine as the best choice. Using arginine does not only lead to the highest mass transfer coefficient (ca 0.004 m3 m−2 min−1) in the membrane contactor but also a remarkable CO2 absorption capacity without the need for an alkaline component that enhances the reaction and the mass transfer.

Conclusion

The use of membrane contactors with a green solvent is a promising step that needs further studies. As the results demonstrate, arginine has shown a great performance; thus, it has been chosen for further investigation. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Mothers' symptoms of anxiety and depression and the development of child temperament: A genetically informative, longitudinal investigation
Authors: Ahmadzadeh Y. I. , Eilertsen E. M. , Cheesman R. , Rayner C. , Ystrom E. , Hannigan L. J. , McAdams T. A.
Published: June 2023

Background

Child temperament traits and mothers' emotional symptoms relating to anxiety and depression may drive changes in one another, leading to their ‘co‐development’ across time. Alternatively, links between mother and child traits may be attributable to shared genetic propensities. We explored longitudinal associations between mothers' emotional symptoms and child temperament traits and adjusted for genetic effects shared across generations.

Methods

This study is based on the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Mothers (n = 34,060) reported on their symptoms of anxiety and depression, and temperament among offspring (n = 42,526), at child ages 1.5, 3 and 5 years. Structural equation models parameterised developmental change in traits, and an extended family design adjusted for genetic effects.

Results

We found individual differences in stable trait scores and rate of change for all study variables. Longitudinal stability in mothers' emotional symptoms was associated with longitudinal stability in offspring emotionality (r = 0.143), shyness (r = 0.031), and sociability (r = −0.015). Longitudinal change in mothers' symptoms showed very small or negligible correlations with longitudinal change in child temperament. Both genetic and environmental influences explained the stable longitudinal association between mothers' symptoms and child emotionality.

Conclusions

The studied associations between mother and child traits across time appeared to be due to stable, trait‐like factors, involving genetic and environmental influence, rather than their co‐development. Findings contribute knowledge on how emotional symptoms develop in families across time, and the methods with which we can explore such development.
Overview of autoantibodies in COVID‐19 convalescents
Authors: Dobrowolska Krystyna , Zarębska‐Michaluk Dorota , Poniedziałek Barbara , Jaroszewicz Jerzy , Flisiak Robert , Rzymski Piotr
Published: June 2023

Accumulating evidence shows that SARS‐CoV‐2 can potentially trigger autoimmune processes, which can be responsible for the long‐term consequences of COVID‐19. Therefore, this paper aims to review the autoantibodies reported in COVID‐19 convalescents. Six main groups were distinguished: (i) autoantibodies against components of the immune system, (ii) autoantibodies against components of the cardiovascular system, (iii) thyroid autoantibodies, (iv) autoantibodies specific for rheumatoid diseases, (v) antibodies against G‐protein coupled receptors, and (vi) other autoantibodies. The evidence reviewed here clearly highlights that SARS‐CoV‐2 infection may induce humoral autoimmune responses. However, the available studies share number of limitations, such as: (1) the sole presence of autoantibodies does not necessarily implicate the clinically‐relevant risks, (2) functional investigations were rarely performed and it is often unknown whether observed autoantibodies are pathogenic, (3) the control seroprevalence, in healthy, noninfected individuals was often not reported; thus it is sometimes unknown whether the detected autoantibodies are the result of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection or the accidental post‐COVID‐19 detection, (4) the presence of autoantibodies was rarely correlated with symptoms of the post‐COVID‐19 syndrome, (5) the size of the studied groups were often small, (6) the studies focused predominantly on adult populations, (7) age‐ and sex‐related differences in seroprevalence of autoantibodies were rarely explored, (8) genetic predispositions that may be involved in generation of autoantibodies during SARS‐CoV‐2 infections were not investigated, and (9) the autoimmune reactions following infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 variants that vary in the clinical course of infection remain unexplored. Further longitudinal studies are advocated to assess the link between identified autoantibodies and particular clinical outcomes in COVID‐19 convalescents.
Increasing positive rate of IgG against hepatitis E virus with steady IgM positivity and clinical incidence: A retrospective seroprevalence time series analysis of HEV from 2012 to 2021 in Chongqing, China
Authors: Shi Lingfeng , Wang Yanping , Cao Xuemei , Huang Wenxiang , Zhang Shujun
Published: June 2023

China is an epidemic area of hepatitis E, and the serum prevalence data is very important for formulating prevention and control strategies. However, almost all related research in the past decade are cross‐sectional studies. In this study, we analyzed the serological data from 2012 to 2021 in Chongqing for 10 consecutive years. We found that the positive rate of hepatitis E IgG antibody increased gradually, from 1.61% in January 2012 to 50.63% in December 2021. The autoregressive integrated moving average model was used to predict the trend, and it was found that it will continue to show an upward trend in the recent future. In contrast, the positive rate of IgM and clinical incidence of hepatitis E showed a relatively stable trend. Although the positive rate of antibodies gradually increased with age, there was no significant difference in the age distribution of the subjects each year. Therefore, these results suggest that the accumulated infection of hepatitis E in Chongqing may be gradually increasing, but the clinical incidence rate remains unchanged, which provides a new concern for formulating prevention and control strategies.
Consignment inventory shrinkage in general and physician preference medical supplies: An empirically‐grounded analytical investigation
Authors: Rosales Claudia , Nair Anand , Pal Sukrit
Published: June 2023

The cost of medical supplies represents a significant portion of hospital spending. Hospitals manage different types of medical supplies, such as general medical supplies and physician preference items. General medical supplies tend to be numerous and relatively low cost, while physician preference items tend to be less numerous and more expensive. Strong physician preference for certain medical supplies can limit the options available to reduce inventory costs. The use of consignment inventory is one way in which hospitals seek to reduce inventory costs for both general supplies as well as physician preference items. However, the use of consignment reduces the level of oversight that hospitals have on consigned inventories, thereby potentially increasing the likelihood of shrinkage. The impact of consignment on shrinkage cost has received limited attention. We investigate this issue by drawing upon the precepts of agency theory and by analyzing hospital data that span multiple years. Our results suggest that the use of consignment increases shrinkage and spend. We develop empirically informed analytical models to better understand the impact of an unforeseen increase in shrinkage on the cost associated with general and physician preference items. The analytical investigation suggests that the impact on general and physician preference items differ depending on the type of consignment contract negotiated between a hospital and a vendor. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of our findings.
The effect of experimentally induced gluteal muscle weakness on joint kinematics, reaction forces, and dynamic balance performance during deep bilateral squats
Authors: Dimitriou Dimitris , Meisterhans Michel , Geissmann Marina , Borpas Paul , Hoch Armando , Rosner Jan , Schubert Martin , Aguirre José , Eichenberger Urs , Zingg Patrick O.
Published: June 2023

Squatting is a common daily activity and fundamental exercise in resistance training and closed kinetic chain programs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an experimentally induced weakness of the gluteal muscles on joint kinematics, reactions forces (JRFs), and dynamic balance performance during deep bilateral squats in healthy young adults. Ten healthy adults received sequential blocks of (1) branch of the superior gluteal nerve to the tensor fasciae latae (SGNtfl) muscle, (2) superior gluteal nerve (SGN), and (3) inferior gluteal nerve (IGN) on the dominant right leg. At the control condition and following each block, the participants were instructed to perform deep bilateral squats standing on two force plates. Hip, knee, ankle, and pelvis kinematics did not differ significantly following iatrogenic weakness of gluteal muscles. The most important finding was the significant differences in JRFs following SGN and IGN block, with the affected hip, patellofemoral, and ankle joint demonstrating lower JRFs, whereas the contralateral joints demonstrated significantly higher JRFs, especially the patellofemoral joint which demonstrated an average maximum difference of 1.43 x body weight compared with the control condition. When performing a deep bilateral leg squat under SGN and IGN block, the subjects demonstrated an increased center of pressure (CoP) range and standard deviation (SD) in mediolateral compared with the control condition. These results imply that squat performance changes significantly following weakness of gluteal muscles and should be considered when assessing and training athletes or patients with these injuries.
Paleofires and vegetation in a Late Pleistocene paleolake (>43 ka bp) of the savannas of central Brazil
Authors: Follador Gabriela Luiza Pereira Pires , Cassino Raquel Franco , Varajão Angélica F. Drummond C. , Bittencourt Jonathas S.
Published: June 2023

This study investigates paleoenvironmental changes at the Paleolagoa Seca site, an Upper Quaternary locality of lacustrine origin in central Brazil. We present charcoal and pollen analyses of this sedimentary sequence, and assess how they compare with previously published fossil macroflora and paleoclimatic reconstructions of the same site and adjacent localities. We identified a mosaic of savannas, forests and flooded environments before 43 ka bp with the presence of evergreen forest formations. For this period, we found charcoal particles resulting from natural fires that represent the oldest Quaternary record of fire in the Cerrado. By conducting a morphological analysis of charcoal particles, we were able to identify that the primary constituents of fire fuel were grasses, which suggests that surface fires were prevalent. During this Pleistocene wet phase, fire probably played a vital role in preserving areas of open vegetation. In contrast, at ~43 ka bp, an open landscape and a drier‐than‐present climate characterized the Paleolagoa Seca site.
Examining dynamic occupancy of gray wolves in Idaho after a decade of managed harvest
Authors: Ausband David E. , Thompson Sarah J. , Oates Brendan A. , Roberts Shane B. , Hurley Mark A. , Mumma Matthew A.
Published: June 2023

Gray wolves (Canis lupus) were reintroduced to Idaho, USA, in 1995–1996. The removal of Endangered Species Act protections in 2011 transferred wolf management to the state where wolves were subsequently classified as a harvested (i.e., hunted, trapped) big game species. We implemented a camera‐based survey across Idaho from 2016–2021 as part of a population monitoring program. We used the resulting camera images in multi‐year, dynamic and single‐season occupancy models to examine potential changes in the asymptotic proportion of area occupied by wolves and assess the effect of cumulative wolf harvest from 2016–2021 on occupancy in the last year of the study, 2021. We also wanted to understand how habitat, prey, humans, harvest, livestock, and prey‐related wolf removals affected wolf occupancy through their effects on colonization and extinction of occupancy cells through time. Statewide wolf occupancy did not change appreciably over the course of our study, with the proportion of survey cells occupied at an estimated high of 0.44 ± 0.03 (SE) in 2018 and a low of 0.39 ± 0.03 in 2020. Wolf colonization (i.e., probability that a cell switched from unoccupied to occupied between years) was positively associated with forest cover, images of humans, and the percent of neighboring cells that were occupied. Cell extinction (i.e., probability of switching from occupied to unoccupied between years) was negatively associated with neighboring cell occupancy. There were non‐linear relationships between wolf harvest, colonization, and extinction. The single‐season occupancy model demonstrated a positive relationship between harvest and occupancy at low to moderate levels of harvest (10–30%), but there was also evidence that high levels of harvest (>30%) reduce occupancy. Our results indicate that although harvest might influence wolf occupancy at local scales, wolf occupancy remained relatively constant across the state and wolves remained well distributed across Idaho during the study.
Differences in vestibulo‐ocular reflexes between vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis
Authors: Nam Gi‐Sung , Baek Wonyong , Kim Min Seok , Cho Sung Il
Published: June 2023

Objective

To expand our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis by identifying any difference in the vestibulo‐ocular reflex for each semicircular canal.

Study Design

Retrospective analysis.

Setting

The Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Chosun University Hospital, from January 2015 to December 2021.

Methods

We included 23 vestibular neuritis and 27 labyrinthitis patients who had been hospitalized. Pure‐tone audiometry, a bithermal caloric test, and a video head‐impulse test were performed within 5 days of symptom onset.

Results

In the vestibular neuritis group, mean vestibulo‐ocular reflex gains were decreased to 0.51 in the ipsilesional horizontal canal and 0.55 in anterior canal, leading to marked asymmetry, whereas the gain of the ipsilesional posterior canal was relatively preserved at 0.85. In the labyrinthitis group, the mean vestibulo‐ocular reflex gain was 0.72 in the ipsilesional horizontal canal, 0.73 in the ipsilesional anterior canal, and 0.55 in the ipsilesional posterior canal. We observed statistical differences in the vestibulo‐ocular reflex gain and incidence of corrective saccades on the ipsilesional side in three semicircular canals between the groups (p = .002 for horizontal canal, p = .003 for anterior canal, and p < .001 for posterior canal). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that pure‐tone audiometry, ipsilesional posterior canal gain, and gain asymmetry of posterior canal were excellent parameters for distinguishing labyrinthitis from vestibular neuritis.

Conclusion

Vestibular neuritis and labyrinthitis patients have different degrees and patterns of video head‐impulse test involvement in the three semicircular canals, suggesting that the two distinct disorders may have different etiologies.
Marine nutrient subsidies promote biogeochemical hotspots in undisturbed, highly humic estuaries
Authors: Evans Chris D. , Felgate Stacey L. , Carter Steffi , Stinchcombe Mark , Mawji Edward , Rees Andrew P. , Lebron Inma , Sanders Richard , Brickle Paul , Mayor Daniel J.
Published: June 2023

The land‐ocean dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux represents a significant term within the global carbon budget, with peatland‐dominated regions representing the most intense sources of terrestrial DOC export. As the interface between freshwater and marine systems, estuaries have the potential to act as a filter of the land‐ocean carbon flux, removing terrestrially derived DOC, which is present at low concentrations in the oceans, via a combination of physicochemical and biological processes. However, the fate of peat‐derived DOC within estuaries remains poorly quantified, partly due to the complicating influences of heterogeneous soils, land‐use, point sources, and upstream modification of organic matter. To minimize these modifying factors, we studied DOC and inorganic nutrients in four small, peat‐dominated, minimally disturbed, and oligotrophic Falkland Island estuaries. Contrary to expectations, we found limited evidence of physicochemical estuarine DOC removal, and instead observed apparent “hot zones” of biogeochemical activity, where terrestrially‐derived silicate mixed with inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus entering the estuaries from the nutrient‐rich marine ecosystem. In two estuaries, this coincided with apparent in situ DOC production. We suggest that the observed phenomena of marine nutrient subsidy of estuarine productivity, and flexible utilization of multiple nutrients within the oligotrophic system, may once have been widespread in temperate estuaries. However, this function has been lost in many ecosystems due to catchment eutrophication by agricultural and urban development. We conclude that the estuaries of the Falkland Islands provide a valuable pre‐disturbance analogue for natural biogeochemical functioning in temperate estuaries receiving high organic matter inputs.
Enhancement of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of Mg–2.0Zn–0.5Zr–1.5Dy (mass%) alloy in a corrosive medium by a microarc oxidation/polylactic acid composite coating
Authors: Li Huan , Wen Jiuba , Gong Yuan , He Junguang , Feng Wuyun
Published: June 2023

To enhance the corrosion resistance of a micro‐arc oxidation (MAO) coating and enable the alloy to maintain high mechanical properties in a corrosive medium, polylactic acid (PLA) was used to seal the porous MAO coating on the surface of extruded Mg–2.0Zn–0.5Zr–1.5Dy alloy by using a dipping coating method. Assessments were conducted by electrochemical experiments, immersion experiments, and tensile tests. The results showed that after the MAO coating was dipped in PLA solution four times, the pores of the MAO coating were largely sealed by PLA. Compared with the MAO coating, the MAO/PLA composite coating had a lower surface roughness, higher hydrophobicity, and better bonding strength with the matrix. In addition, the MAO/PLA composite coating mitigated the damage of the coating during the tensile and corrosion processes and provided a method to maintain higher corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of magnesium alloys in a corrosive medium.
Electrochemical evaluation of Daphne gnidium extract's antioxidant capacity and its potential for mild steel corrosion protection in NaCl medium
Authors: Zarki Youssef , Elmourabit Mohammad , Ben Seddik Nordin , Akachar Soukaina , Aghzzaf Ahmed A. , Chaouket Faiza , Draoui Khalid , Raissouni Ihssane , Bouchta Dounia
Published: June 2023

In this study, the leaf extract of the plant Daphne gnidium L. (Thymemeacea) was used as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in 0.1 M NaCl. The content of total polyphenols was evaluated by UV visible spectrophotometry and with cyclic voltammetry. The results show that the extract contains a high content of total phenols estimated at 90.26 (mg GAE/g). Besides this, the plant extract was characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and polarization techniques were used to investigate the extract's anticorrosive performance. The results indicated that the addition of 3% of the extract increased the inhibition efficiency to 90.8% after 4 h of immersion. In addition, the results of the polarization tests showed that the extract acted as a mixed‐type inhibitor, mainly affecting the anodic reaction. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the morphology of the metal surface. The results revealed a less corrosion impact on mild steel in an inhibited solution.
Identification of Parkinson's Disease Subtypes from Resting‐State Electroencephalography
Authors: Yassine Sahar , Gschwandtner Ute , Auffret Manon , Duprez Joan , Verin Marc , Fuhr Peter , Hassan Mahmoud
Published: June 2023

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients present with a heterogeneous clinical phenotype, including motor, cognitive, sleep, and affective disruptions. However, this heterogeneity is often either ignored or assessed using only clinical assessments.

Objectives

We aimed to identify different PD sub‐phenotypes in a longitudinal follow‐up analysis and their electrophysiological profile based on resting‐state electroencephalography (RS‐EEG) and to assess their clinical significance over the course of the disease.

Methods

Using electrophysiological features obtained from RS‐EEG recordings and data‐driven methods (similarity network fusion and source‐space spectral analysis), we have performed a clustering analysis to identify disease sub‐phenotypes and we examined whether their different patterns of disruption are predictive of disease outcome.

Results

We showed that PD patients (n = 44) can be sub‐grouped into three phenotypes with distinct electrophysiological profiles. These clusters are characterized by different levels of disruptions in the somatomotor network (Δ and β band), the frontotemporal network (α2 band) and the default mode network (α1 band), which consistently correlate with clinical profiles and disease courses. These clusters are classified into either moderate (only‐motor) or mild‐to‐severe (diffuse) disease. We showed that EEG features can predict cognitive evolution of PD patients from baseline, when the cognitive clinical scores were overlapped.

Conclusions

The identification of novel PD subtypes based on electrical brain activity signatures may provide a more accurate prognosis in individual patients in clinical practice and help to stratify subgroups in clinical trials. Innovative profiling in PD can also support new therapeutic strategies that are brain‐based and designed to modulate brain activity disruption. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Evaluating the impact of correlated noise for time‐lapse transient electromagnetic (TEM) monitoring studies
Authors: McLachlan Paul , Christiensen Niels Bøie , Grombacher Denys , Christiansen Anders Vest
Published: June 2023

Typically, transient electromagnetic (TEM) hydrogeological applications focus on spatial characterization. However, there is scope for utilizing time‐lapse TEM to monitor dynamic processes. Changes related to hydrogeological processes are subtle; consequently, measurements must be of exceptional quality, and the presence and influence of noise sources must be well understood. A potentially problematic noise source is radio waves operating in the 3–300 kHz range, as they introduce correlated error into TEM measurements. For instance, it was anticipated that such radio waves could introduce smooth perturbations in the data that could be erroneously interpreted in the TEM inversion results. This work evaluates the presence of correlated noise sources, their temporal dependence and their significance for TEM monitoring. This work combines fully sampled data and normalized covariance matrices of gated data to identify correlated noise sources. Radio signals operating in the low and very low frequency (LF and VLF) bands were found to vary across the investigation period; however, their influence on the TEM inversion results was minimal. Measurement stacking remains an effective way to improve the signal‐to‐noise ratio of TEM data affected by LF and VLF noise sources as they do not introduce bias, for example smooth perturbation, into the TEM data explored in this work.
Porous structure induced crack redistribution in surface conductive layer for high‐performance fiber‐based flexible strain and pressure sensors
Authors: Cui Xihua , Xie Hongyan , Jiang Yue , Xu Zhiguang , Sui Guoxin , Yang Xiaoming
Published: June 2023

Constructing crack structure has been proven as an effective method to prepare highly sensitive strain/pressure sensors. However, the crack‐structured strain/pressure sensors usually show limited sensing range because of the rapid destruction of conductive networks. Herein, a porous poly(styrene‐b‐ethylene‐b‐butylene‐b‐styrene) (SEBS)‐based fiber with surface carbon nanotube (CNT) conductive layer is prepared by melt extrusion foaming and ultrasonic treatment. Cracks generate in the conductive layer under stretching due to the modulus mismatch. It is found that the introduction of porous structure leads to the redistribution of surface cracks. The conductive layer around pores cracks first under small strain due to the stress concentration effect, and the conductive layer away from pores then cracks under large strain, which prevents the rapid destruction of the conductive networks. Consequently, the porous conductive fiber‐based strain sensors exhibit both high sensitivity (gauge factor of 27.2 at the strain of 350%) and wide sensing range (0%–350%). Furthermore, a high‐performance flexible pressure sensor is fabricated by perpendicularly stacking two porous SEBS@CNTs fibers, which can be applied in wearable human motion monitoring and information transmission. Our study inspires a new idea and proposes a simple strategy for fabricating high‐performance crack‐structured flexible strain/pressure sensors with high sensitivity over a wide sensing range.
Recent developments of block copolymers in nonvolatile memory and artificial synapses
Authors: Chang Ai‐Chun , Mulia Tiffany , Wu Ya‐Shuan , Weng Yi‐Hsun , Lin Yan‐Cheng , Chen Wen‐Chang
Published: June 2023

The rapid development of artificial intelligence has significantly accelerated computational calculation and enlarged the demands in information storage. Therefore, high‐performance memory devices based on new architectures and functionalities, such as resistive memory, transistor memory, and phase change memory, along with their applications in neuromorphic computing and artificial synapse have arisen extensive interest among researchers. In order to improve the memory performance, block copolymer electrets with diversified self‐assembled structures have been extensively developed, and their structure–performance properties have been investigated. Therefore, in this focused review, a variety of block copolymers combining incompatible polymers, such as hydrophilic/hydrophobic, polar/nonpolar, and conjugated/insulating polymers, are introduced in this focused review. The design concepts and recent advances of block copolymers in nonvolatile memory and artificial synapses were addressed. With these divergent structure designs, block copolymers are regarded as potential candidates to provide high performance in memory device applications. This review sheds light on the great potential and importance of block copolymers for optoelectronic device applications.
Crop–pollinator interactions in urban and peri‐urban farms in the United Kingdom
Authors: Nicholls Elizabeth , Griffiths‐Lee Janine , Basu Parthiba , Chatterjee Soumik , Goulson Dave
Published: June 2023

Societal Impact Statement

Urban food production could contribute towards sustainable food provision and would also deliver benefits to biodiversity and the health of urban residents. Many crops rely on insect pollination, but urban pollinator populations are under‐studied. In this study, crop–pollinator interactions and pollination quality were quantified in urban allotments in the United Kingdom. A diversity of insects was observed visiting the flowers of food crops, with squash, cucumber and fruit trees attracting the most flower visitors. However, strawberry plants pollinated naturally by insects produced lower quality fruit than those receiving supplemental hand‐pollination. Urban crop pollination could therefore be improved through the provision of food and nesting habitats for insects.

Growing food in and around cities could be a partial solution to sustainably increasing food production in an urbanised world. Recent studies have shown that small‐scale urban farms can be as productive, if not more so, than large‐scale conventional farms. However, the question of which insects visit fruit and vegetable crops in urban areas and whether there are sufficiently large and diverse populations to provide adequate pollination to food crops has been little explored.

Here we quantified plant–pollinator visitation networks in urban allotments in the city of Brighton and Hove, UK, to determine which insect groups visit commonly grown fruit and vegetable crops. We also conducted pollinator deficit experiments to determine whether there are sufficient pollinators in urban allotments to adequately pollinate two commonly grown insect‐pollinated crops, strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) and runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus).

A broad range of insect‐pollinated fruit and vegetable crops were grown in allotments and were visited by a diversity of insects spanning many taxonomic groups. We found little evidence that runner bean crop yields were limited by a lack of pollination; however, open‐pollinated strawberry plants produced more ‘unmarketable’ fruit suggesting there is potential for improving the delivery of pollination to strawberries grown in urban areas.

Our results suggest there are potential opportunities for expanding urban food production to the benefit of both people and biodiversity. We recommend that future work should also consider the effectiveness of different insect groups in pollinating the various crops grown in urban areas.
De Ritis score as an inflammatory marker in Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Authors: Duman Tuba Taslamacioglu , Erge Eray , Tel Burcin Meryem Atak , Kiziltunc Cagri , Aktas Gulali
Published: June 2023

Background

The aim of the study was assessing the De Ritis score, an inflammatory marker, in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) patients which is characterized with autoimmunity and chronic inflammation.

Methods

Between October 2021 and October 2022, the subjects in our outpatient clinics diagnosed with thyroiditis and healthy controls enrolled to the study. Age, gender, and laboratory parameters including C‐reactive protein (CRP), alanine (ALT), and aspartate (AST) transaminases, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (FT4), were obtained and recorded for all participants, retrospectively. Division of AST by ALT was the formula to calculate the De Ritis score. Characteristics and laboratory data of the study and healthy controls were compared.

Results

Median de Ritis ratio of the HT group (1.11 (0.56)%) was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.91 (0.41)%), (p < .001). A positive and significant correlation between De Ritis score and CRP (r = 0.46, p < .001) values. ROC analysis revealed the sensitivity and the specificity of CRP in predicting HT were higher than those of the De Ritis score. A De Ritis score higher than 0.9% has 67% sensitivity and 50% specificity in selecting patients with thyroiditis (AUC: 0.69, p < .001, 95% CI: 0.63–0.76).

Conclusions

We think that elevated De Ritis score can be used as an adjunctive tool in the diagnosis of HT.
Thermodynamics and Perturbative Analysis of Some Newly Developed F(R,Lm,T)$\mathcal {F}(R,L_m, T)$ Theories Under the Scenario of Conserved Energy‐momentum Tensor
Authors: Zubair M. , Waheed Saira , Muneer Quratulien , Ahmad M.
Published: June 2023

The present work is devoted to explore some interesting cosmological features of a newly proposed theory of gravity namely theory, whereRandTrepresent the Ricci scalar and trace of energy momentum‐tensor, respectively. First, a non‐equilibrium thermodynamical description is considered on the apparent horizon of the Friedmann's cosmos. The Friedmann equations are demonstrated to be equivalent to the first law of thermodynamics, i.e., , where refers to entropy production term. The constraint for validity of generalized second law of thermodynamics is also formulated and checked it for some simple well‐known forms of generic function . Next, the energy bounds for this framework and constraint the free variables by finding the validity regions for NEC and WEC are developed. Furthermore, some interesting cosmological solutions namely power law, ΛCDM, and de Sitter models in this theory are reconstructed. The reconstructed solutions are then examined by checking the validity of GSLT and energy bounds. Lastly, the stability of all reconstructed solutions by introducing suitable perturbations in the field equations is analyzed. It is concluded that obtained solutions are stable and cosmologically viable.
Prostate cancer genetic alterations in Hispanic men
Authors: Arenas‐Gallo Camilo , Rhodes Stephen , Garcia Jorge A. , Weinstein Ilon , Prunty Megan , Lewicki Patrick , Brant Aaron , Basourakos Spyridon P. , Barbieri Christopher E. , Lifschutz Noa , Schumacher Fredrick R. , Shoag Jonathan E.
Published: June 2023

Background

Differences in DNA alterations in prostate cancer among White, Black, and Asian men have been widely described. This is the first description of the frequency of DNA alterations in primary and metastatic prostate cancer samples of self‐reported Hispanic men.

Methods

We utilized targeted next‐generation sequencing tumor genomic profiles from prostate cancer tissues that underwent clinical sequencing at academic centers (GENIE 11th). We decided to restrict our analysis to the samples from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as it was by far the main contributor of Hispanic samples. The numbers of men by self‐reported ethnicity and racial categories were analyzed via Fisher's exact test between Hispanic‐White versus non‐Hispanic White.

Results and Limitations

Our cohort consisted of 1412 primary and 818 metastatic adenocarcinomas. In primary adenocarcinomas, TMPRSS2 and ERG gene alterations were less common in non‐Hispanic White men than Hispanic White (31.86% vs. 51.28%,p = 0.0007, odds ratio [OR] = 0.44 [0.27–0.72] and 25.34% vs. 42.31%,p = 0.002, OR = 0.46 [0.28–0.76]). In metastatic tumors, KRAS and CCNE1 alterations were less prevalent in non‐Hispanic White men (1.03% vs. 7.50%,p = 0.014, OR = 0.13 [0.03, 0.78] and 1.29% vs. 10.00%,p = 0.003, OR = 0.12 [0.03, 0.54]). No significant differences were found in actionable alterations and androgen receptor mutations between the groups. Due to the lack of clinical characteristics and genetic ancestry in this dataset, correlation with these could not be explored.

Conclusion

DNA alteration frequencies in primary and metastatic prostate cancer tumors differ among Hispanic‐White and non‐Hispanic White men. Notably, we found no significant differences in the prevalence of actionable genetic alterations between the groups, suggesting that a significant number of Hispanic men could benefit from the development of targeted therapies.
Sustainable investment – Exploring the linkage between alpha,ESG, andSDGs
Authors: Bekaert Geert , Rothenberg Richard , Noguer Miquel
Published: June 2023

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing has attracted much attention in asset management this past decade. Asset managers who consider ESG issues when making investment decisions potentially face a trade off with their fiduciary duty to attempt to outperform investment benchmarks (“generate alpha”). We first analyze the relationship between alpha generation and ESG metrics. However, because there are no well‐accepted ESG standards, we also measure the impact companies have on the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's). Our research consists of three steps. First, we construct a sector‐neutral portfolio using MSCI ESG momentum scores from 2013 to 2018, and determine that it is feasible to generate positive alpha vis‐à‐vis the MSCI US index and other risk benchmarks. Second, we utilize structured and unstructured data to determine a company's net influence on the SDGs, which we call its SDG “footprint.” We show that an ESG momentum portfolio both outperforms the MSCI US index and has a relatively better SDG footprint than that of the index. Third, we establish a positive contemporaneous connection between the portfolio's ESG ratings momentum and its SDG footprint. Thus, a positive linkage exists between ESG, alpha, and the SDGs for our sample.
Peace and well‐being with storytelling in TESOL: Exploring peacebuilding through voices of English language learners in Pakistan
Authors: Haidar Sham , Farrukh Fizza
Published: June 2023

Storytelling was initiated, as a part of this study, in a Pakistani university's undergraduate English class, involving reflective discussions and journal writing, to create a safe space where students can raise their voices. In a collectivist society, like Pakistan, society's norms are preferred over individual agencies (Bittles & Small, 2016), which instills a “collectivist obligation” amongst the youth to follow society's ways (Watkins & Biggs, 2001, p. 282) and, ultimately, distancing critical thinking (Feyyaz, 2016) and muting disparate voices (Zaidi et al., 2016). Moreover, Pakistan, being a developing country, faces multiple social and political issues (Droogan, 2018; Saeed et al., 2014) adding further pressure on these young minds. With technology, media, and education, the country's youth, especially majors in English, have started comparing their norms with modern values (Zubair, 2006) resulting in adjustment issues (Haidar, 2021a) which require attention and ventilation. In this study, the classroom was developed as a venting space for students whereby storytelling helped students in confronting conflicts, deliberating causes and navigating solutions. Data from journaling, discussions, and students' interviews revealed these practices were helpful in attaining mental peace, developing tolerance and building stronger human connections.
Centering minority‐serving institutions to counter dominant narratives about leadership identity development
Authors: Turman Natasha T. , Irwin Lauren N.
Published: June 2023

This article focuses on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic‐Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander‐Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). These institution types are united by their commitments to racially and ethnically minoritized communities, expanding educational access, facilitating culturally affirming education, and developing collective and socially responsible leaders. As a counternarrative, the authors situate leadership identity development (LID) at Minority‐Serving Institutions (MSIs) to decenter whiteness in leadership scholarship and enactment and to elevate MSIs and their impact on students’ leader and leadership identity development (LID).
Working-Class Adult Students: Negotiating Inequalities in the Graduate Labour Market
Authors: Merrill Barbara , Revers Scott
Published: June 2023

Increasing attention has been paid to the ways in which higher education is attuned to the labour market. Graduates have typically, in terms of their role and input, been positioned as key players on the economic stage. The discussion over ‘work-readiness’ and the economic contribution they can make has spawned a narrative and language in HE around the question of ‘employability’ which is dominated by a human capital approach. As Tomlinson asserts: ‘It now appears no longer enough just to be a graduate, but instead an employable graduate’ (Graduate employability: A review of conceptual and theoretical themes. Higher Education Policy, 25, 412–431, 2012, p. 25).

Taking a critical stance, our focus will be on working-class adult students studying at an elite UK university and their perceptions of how they are positioned in the graduate labour market. Using biographical methods and the voices of adult students, we will look at how they experience inequalities (class, gender, and age) when accessing the labour market. The voices of adult students reveal a different language to those of employers and university staff. The emphasis on employability in HE has resulted in increasing inequalities between traditional and non-traditional students. We will explore these challenges for adult students to explore how it has impacted on them and their attempts to enter into the labour market by drawing upon the work of Bourdieu and, in particular, his concepts of capitals, habitus and field.
Institutionalisation of Employability Capital in Employment Markets
Authors: Cai Yuzhuo
Published: June 2023

Cai and Tomlinson’s (A renewed analytical framework for understanding employers’ perceptions of graduate employability: Integration of capital and institutionalist perspectives. In T. Broadley, Y. Cai, M. Firth, E. Hunt, & J. Neugebauer (Eds.), SAGE Handbook of Graduate Employability (pp. 479–495). Sage, 2023) renewed analytical framework for understanding employers’ beliefs about graduate employability integrates Tomlinson’s (Forms of graduate capital and their relationship to graduate employability. Education + Training, 59(4), 338–352. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-05-2016-0090, 2017) concept of employability capital and Cai’s (Graduate employability: a conceptual framework for understanding employers’ perceptions. Higher Education, 65(4), 457–469. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-012-9556-x, 2013) conceptualisation of the institutionalisation of employers’ perceptions of graduate employability. This paper uses it to reinterpret an empirical investigation of China-based Finnish employers’ perceptions of Finnish-educated Chinese graduates (Cai, Understanding employers’ perceptions of international graduates: An investigation of the employment prospects of Finnish-educated Chinese graduates in Finnish companies operating in China. Tampere University Press, 2012) to test and enhance the framework. The re-analysis of old findings with the new framework focuses on two questions: What is the explanatory power of Cai and Tomlinson’s (A renewed analytical framework for understanding employers’ perceptions of graduate employability: Integration of capital and institutionalist perspectives. In T. Broadley, Y. Cai, M. Firth, E. Hunt, & J. Neugebauer (Eds.), SAGE Handbook of Graduate Employability (pp. 479–495). Sage, 2023) framework, and how can it be demonstrated? How can the framework be further enhanced? By answering these questions, the paper also contributes to resolving some long-standing debates in the graduate employability literature, such as whether an international education improves employability.
Leib, Intentionalität, Passivität und Bildlichkeit
Authors: Ekweariri Dominic Nnaemeka
Published: June 2023

Wenn die Leiblichkeit in der Phänomenologie eine theoretische Intuition der Subjektivität und des Weltbezugs artikuliert und wenn der Leib die Erfahrung des einzelnen Leibes bezeugt, auf welcher Art von Kohärenz können wir dann ein Verständnis des leiblichen Weltbezugs gründen? Husserl, der Begründer der Phänomenologie, und nach ihm Merleau-Ponty, gaben eine Antwort auf diese Frage, indem sie einen Modus der Orientierung zur Welt vorschlugen, der nicht nur intentional, sondern auch passiv und bildlich ist, jeder auf seine Weise. Richirs Auseinandersetzung mit einem solchen Denksystem wird darin offensichtlich, das er in Abgrenzung dazu eher nicht intentionale, nicht passive, und nicht bildliche Zugänge des Leibes zur Welt vertreten hat. Wir werden diese Auseinandersetzung im Hinblick auf die intentionale Modifikation des anderen in der Intersubjektivität (Husserl), den präreflexiven, motorischen intentionalen Bezug des Leibes zur Welt (Merleau-Ponty) und das Verstehen sprachlicher Ausdrücke (Husserl) untersuchen. Im Rahmen dieser Auseinandersetzung möchten wir eine Antwort auf diese Frage verteidigen, da wir der Ansicht sind, dass jede durch die Leiblichkeit ermöglichte Öffnung zur Welt die Dimension der Sinnhaftigkeit artikulieren muss.
Massless entanglement islands in cone holography
Authors: Li Dongqi , Miao Rong-Xin
Published: June 2023

Abstract

It is controversial whether entanglement islands can exist in massless gravity theories. Recently, it is found that the massless entanglement island appears in wedge holography with DGP gravity on the branes. In this paper, we generalize the discussions to the codim-n holography named cone holography. For simplicity, we focus on the case with a codim-2 E brane and a codim-1 Q brane. We discuss the effective action, mass spectrum and holographic entanglement entropy for cone holography with DGP terms. We verify that there is massless gravity on the branes, and recover non-trivial entanglement islands and Page curves. Besides, we work out the parameter space which allows entanglement islands and Page curves. Compared with wedge holography, there are several new features. First, one can not add DGP gravity on the codim-2 E brane. That is because the energy density has to be a constant on codim-2 branes for Einstein gravity in bulk. Second, the Hartman- Maldacena surface ends only on the codim-1 Q brane. Third, the Hartman-Maldacena surface can be defined only in a finite time. We notice that this unusual situation also appears in AdS/dCFT and even in AdS/CFT. Fortunately, it does not affect the Page curve since it happens after Page time. Our results provide more support that the entanglement island is consistent with massless gravity theories.