bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global soil nitrogen cycle pattern and nitrogen enrichment effects: Tropical versus subtropical forests
Authors: Elrys Ahmed S. , Zhu QiLin , Jiang Chunlan , Liu Juan , Sobhy Hamida H. H. , Shen Qunli , Uwiragiye Yves , Wu Yanzheng , El‐Tarabily Khaled A. , Meng Lei , Müller Christoph , Zhang Jinbo
Published: January 2023

Tropical and subtropical forest biomes are a main hotspot for the global nitrogen (N) cycle. Yet, our understanding of global soil N cycle patterns and drivers and their response to N deposition in these biomes remains elusive. By a meta‐analysis of 2426‐single and 161‐paired observations from 89 published 15 N pool dilution and tracing studies, we found that gross N mineralization (GNM), immobilization of ammonium () and nitrate (), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) were significantly higher in tropical forests than in subtropical forests. Soil N cycle was conservative in tropical forests with ratios of gross nitrification (GN) to (GN/) and of soil nitrate to ammonium (NO3−/NH4+) less than one, but was leaky in subtropical forests with GN/ and NO3−/NH4+ higher than one. Soil NH4+ dynamics were mainly controlled by soil substrate (e.g., total N), but climatic factors (e.g., precipitation and/or temperature) were more important in controlling soil NO3− dynamics. Soil texture played a role, as GNM and were positively correlated with silt and clay contents, while and DNRA were positively correlated with sand and clay contents, respectively. The soil N cycle was more sensitive to N deposition in tropical forests than in subtropical forests. Nitrogen deposition leads to a leaky N cycle in tropical forests, as evidenced by the increase in GN/, NO3−/NH4+, and nitrous oxide emissions and the decrease in and DNRA, mainly due to the decrease in soil microbial biomass and pH. Dominant tree species can also influence soil N cycle pattern, which has changed from conservative in deciduous forests to leaky in coniferous forests. We provide global evidence that tropical, but not subtropical, forests are characterized by soil N dynamics sustaining N availability and that N deposition inhibits soil N retention and stimulates N losses in these biomes.
Regulatory B cells (Bregs) in Helicobacter pylori chronic infection
Authors: Hassuna Noha A. , Hussien Sahar Sh. , Abdelhakeem Mohammed , Aboalela Ahmed , Ahmed Elham , Abdelrahim Soha S.
Published: January 2023

Background

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is linked with a wide variety of diseases and was reported in more than half of the world's population. Chronic H. pylori infection and its final clinical outcome depend mainly on the bacterial virulence factors and its ability to manipulate and adapt to human immune responses. Bregs blood levels have been correlated with increased bacterial load and infection chronicity, especially Gram‐negative bacterial infection. This study aimed to identify prevalence and virulence factors of chronic H. pylori infection among symptomatic Egyptian patients and to examine its possible correlation to levels of regulatory B cells (Bregs) in blood.

Materials and Methods

Gastric biopsies and blood samples from each of 113 adult patients, who underwent upper endoscopy, were examined for the detection of H. pylori by culture and PCR methods. Conventional PCR was used to determine various virulent genes prevalence and association to clinical outcome. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate Bregs levels.

Results

Helicobacter pylori prevalence was 49.1% (55/112). Regarding virulence genes incidence, flaA gene was detected in 73% (40/55), vir B11 in 56.4% (31/55), hopZ1 in 34.5% (19/55), hopZ2 in 89% (49/55), babA2 in 52.7% (29/55), dupA jhp917 in 61.8% (34/55), vacA m1/m2 in 70.9% (39/55), and vacA s1/s2 in 69% (38/55) strains. Bregs levels were significantly lower in H. pylori‐infected patients (p = 0.013), while total leukocyte count (TLC) showed no significant differences.

Conclusion

Helicobacter pylori infection prevalence was almost 49%, and the infection was found to be related to inflammatory conditions as gastritis and ulcers rather than malignant transformations. Also, we found that CD24+CD38+ B cells were downregulated in H. pylori‐infected patients.
Effectiveness of nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions in primary health care: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Lei Yan‐Yuan , ya Sa ren tuo , Zheng Yu‐Rong , Cui Xiang‐Shu
Published: January 2023

Aim

This review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on the effectiveness of nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions in primary health care.

Methods

The following Chinese and English databases were searched for relevant articles: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), from the establishment of the databases until the last updating search 1 April 2022. Two researchers screened the studies independently and extracted the data. Meta‐analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.3 software.

Results

A total of 12 studies were included in this review. It was found that nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions significantly shortened patients' length of stay in hospital (standardized mean differences [SMD] = −1.28, 95%CI: −2.03 to −0.54; P<0.001) and decreased incidences of complications (RR = 0.24, 95%CI:0.10 to 0.54; P = 0.0006) compared to the control group, and lowered patients' anxiety levels (SMD = −1.21, 95%CI: −1.99 to −0.44; P<0.01) and depression levels (SMD = −1.85, 95%CI: −3.42 to −0.28; P<0.0001). Furthermore, the results of subgroup analysis indicated that nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions had significant effects on patients' self‐management ability (SMD = 4.45, 95%CI:2.45 to 6.44; P<0.0001) and quality of life (SMD = 1.01, 95%CI: 0.63 to 1.40; P<0.0001) compared to the control group.

Conclusions

Nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions had strong effects in primary health care, contributing to shorten patients' length of stay in hospital, decrease incidences of complications and reduce the levels of anxiety and depression. Moreover, nurse‐led multidisciplinary interventions also improved patients' self‐management ability and quality of life.
Evolution of m6A‐related genes in insects and the function of METTL3 in silkworm embryonic development
Authors: Liu Shuai‐Qi , Jia Shun‐Ze , Tian Huan , Li Ying‐Hui , Hu Kai‐Wen , Tao Jian‐Guo , Lu Yi‐Cheng , Xu Yu‐Song , Wang Hua‐Bing
Published: January 2023

N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) plays a key role in many biological processes. However, the function and evolutionary relationship of m6A‐related genes in insects remain largely unknown. Here we analysed the phylogeny of m6A‐related genes among 207 insect species and found that m6A‐related genes are evolutionarily conserved in insects. Subcellular localization experiments of m6A‐related proteins in BmN cells confirmed that BmYTHDF3 was localized in the cytoplasm, BmMETTL3, BmMETTL14, and BmYTHDC were localized in the nucleus, and FL2D was localized to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. We examined the expression patterns of m6A‐related genes during the embryonic development of Bombyx mori. To elucidate the function of BmMETTL3 during the embryonic stage, RNA sequencing was performed to measure changes in gene expression in silkworm eggs after BmMETTL3 knockdown, as well as in BmN cells overexpressing BmMETTL3. The global transcriptional pattern showed that knockdown of BmMETTL3 affected multiple cellular processes, including oxidoreductase activity, transcription regulator activity, and the cation binding. In addition, transcriptomic data revealed that many observed DEGs were associated with fundamental metabolic processes, including carbon metabolism, purine metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and the citrate cycle. Interestingly, we found that knockdown of BmMETTL3 significantly affected Wnt and Toll/Imd pathways in embryos. Taken together, these results suggest that BmMETTL3 plays an essential role in the embryonic development of B. mori, and deepen our understanding of the function of m6A‐related genes in insects.
Influx of podoplanin‐expressing inflammatory macrophages into the genital tract following Chlamydia infection
Authors: Chan Yee Teng , Cheok Yi Ying , Cheong Heng Choon , Tan Grace Min Yi , Seow Shi Rui , Tang Ting Fang , Sulaiman Sofiah , Looi Chung Yeng , Gupta Rishein , Arulanandam Bernard , Wong Won Fen
Published: January 2023

Genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection remains a major health issue as it causes severe complications including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility in females as a result of infection‐associated chronic inflammation. Podoplanin, a transmembrane receptor, has been previously reported on inflammatory macrophages. Thus, strategies that specifically target podoplanin might be able to reduce local inflammation. This study investigated the expression level and function of podoplanin in a C. trachomatis infection model. C57BL/6 mice infected with the mouse pathogen Chlamydia muridarum were examined intermittently from days 1 to 60 using flow cytometry analysis. Percentages of conventional macrophages (CD11b+CD11c−F4/80+) versus inflammatory macrophages (CD11b+CD11c+F4/80+), and the expression of podoplanin in these cells were investigated. Subsequently, a podoplanin‐knockout RAW264.7 cell was used to evaluate the function of podoplanin in C. trachomatis infection. Our findings demonstrated an increased CD11b+ cell volume in the spleen at day 9 after the infection, with augmented podoplanin expression, especially among the inflammatory macrophages. A large number of podoplanin‐expressing macrophages were detected in the genital tract of C. muridarum–infected mice. Furthermore, analysis of the C. trachomatis–infected patients demonstrated a higher percentage of podoplanin‐expressing monocytes than that in the noninfected controls. Using an in vitro infection in a transwell migration assay, we identified that macrophages deficient in podoplanin displayed defective migratory function toward C. trachomatis–infected HeLa 229 cells. Lastly, using immunoprecipitation–mass spectrometry method, we identified two potential podoplanin interacting proteins, namely, Cofilin 1 and Talin 1 actin‐binding proteins. The present study reports a role of podoplanin in directing macrophage migration to the chlamydial infection site. Our results suggest a potential for reducing inflammation in individuals with chronic chlamydial infections by targeting podoplanin.
Determinants of student performance with mobile‐based assessment systems for English as a foreign language courses
Authors: Bacca‐Acosta Jorge , Fabregat Ramon , Baldiris Silvia , Kinshuk  , Guevara Juan
Published: January 2023

Background

Mobile‐based assessment has been an active area of research in the field of mobile learning. Prior research has demonstrated that mobile‐based assessment systems positively affect student performance. However, it is still unclear why and how these systems positively affect student performance.

Objectives

This study aims to identify the determinants of student performance during students' use of a mobile‐based assessment application in a formative assessment activity as part of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses in higher education.

Methods

A structural model based on hypotheses was validated using PLS‐SEM with data from the interaction of 127 students of eight EFL courses from the A1 and A2 levels of English that used a mobile‐based assessment system for a period of 4 weeks. Automatic data collection in the application and self‐reported instruments were applied.

Results and Conclusions

Use of scaffolding mechanisms, time on‐task and reported effort are strong predictors of students' learning outcomes. The use of scaffolding strategies predicts students' time on‐task. The provision of corrective feedback is not a predictor of students' learning performance but predicts other constructs such as perceived usefulness and the behavioural intention to use.

Implications

Mobile‐based assessment systems should include scaffolding mechanisms and integrate strategies to increase the perceived relevance of the formative assessment activity to increase the student learning performance. Scaffolding mechanisms are also useful to increase the student time on‐task in the formative assessment activity. In mobile‐based formative assessment activities more elaborated forms of feedback other than corrective feedback are needed to increase student performance.
Fixed‐dose combination therapy‐based protocol compared with free pill combination protocol: Results of a cluster randomized trial
Authors: Sanuade Olutobi A. , Ale Boni M. , Baldridge Abigail S. , Orji Ikechukwu A. , Shedul Gabriel L. , Ojo Tunde M. , Shedul Grace , Ugwuneji Eugenia N. , Egenti Nonye , Omitiran Kasarachi , Okoli Rosemary , Eze Helen , Nwankwo Ada , Hirschhorn Lisa R. , Chopra Aashima , Ye Jiancheng , Tripathi Priya , Banigbe Bolanle , Kandula Namratha R. , Huffman Mark D. , Ojji Dike B. ,   the Hypertension Treatment in Nigeria Program Investigators
Published: January 2023

Fixed‐dose combination (FDC) therapy is recommended for hypertension management in Nigeria based on randomized trials at the individual level. This cluster‐randomized trial evaluates effectiveness and safety of a treatment protocol that used two‐drug FDC therapy as the second and third steps for hypertension control compared with a protocol that used free pill combinations. From January 2021 to June 2021, 60 primary healthcare centers in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria were randomized to a protocol using FDC therapy as second and third steps compared with a protocol that used the same medications in free pill combination therapy for these steps. Eligible patients were adults (≥18 years) with hypertension. The primary outcome was the odds of a patient being controlled at their last visit between baseline to 6‐month follow‐up in the FDC group compared to the free pill group. 4427 patients (mean [SD] age: 49.0 [12.4] years, 70.5% female) were registered with mean (SD) baseline systolic/diastolic blood pressure 155 (20.6)/96 (13.1) mm Hg. Baseline characteristics of groups were similar. After 6‐months, hypertension control rate improved in the two treatment protocols, but there were no differences between the groups after adjustment (FDC = 53.9% versus free pill combination = 47.9%, cluster‐adjusted p = .29). Adverse events were similarly low (<1%) in both groups. Both protocols improved hypertension control rates at 6‐months in comparison to baseline, though no differences were observed between groups. Further work is needed to determine if upfront FDC therapy is more effective and efficient to improve hypertension control rates.
A pilot randomized controlled trial of CAPABLE in permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless adults
Authors: Henwood Benjamin F. , Semborski Sara , Pitts Deborah B. , Niemiec Stacey Schepens , Yay Ozan , Paone Deborah L. , Szanton Sarah L.
Published: January 2023

Background

CAPABLE is a time‐limited, evidence‐based intervention that helps older adults live independently. It has not been previously tested for use among formerly homeless adults in permanent supportive housing (PSH) who experience accelerated aging that can jeopardize their ability to live independently and age in place.

Methods

A pilot randomized controlled trial with PSH tenants with an average age of 63 years old was conducted to examine the impact of CAPABLE on basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL) (and other function‐related parameters). Twenty‐seven PSH tenants received the intervention and 30 PSH tenants were assigned to a waitlist control group.

Results

Those who received the intervention showed improvements in five of seven health outcomes with small to medium effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.20–0.47). When compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in two health outcomes—namely, reduction in limitations in instrumental ADL (p = 0.03) and depression (p = 0.01)—and greater effect sizes (d = 0.17–0.61).

Conclusions

CAPABLE is an evidence‐based practice that can be successfully implemented in PSH to improve outcomes in a population that experiences significant health disparities and premature decline. Further investigation with a larger sample is warranted.
The Sm core protein SmEb regulates salt stress responses through maintaining proper splicing of RCD1 pre‐mRNA in Arabidopsis
Authors: Hong Yechun , Gao Yang , Pang Jia , Shi Huazhong , Li Tingting , Meng Huiying , Kong Dali , Chen Yunjuan , Zhu Jian‐Kang , Wang Zhen
Published: January 2023

Salt stress adversely impacts crop production. Several spliceosome components have been implicated in regulating salt stress responses in plants, however, the underlying molecular basis is still unclear. Here we report that the spliceosomal core protein SmEb is essential to salt tolerance in Arabidopsis. Transcriptome analysis showed that SmEb modulates alternative splicing of hundreds of pre‐mRNAs in plant response to salt stress. Further study revealed that SmEb is crucial in maintaining proper ratio of two RCD1 splicing variants (RCD1.1/RCD1.2) important for salt stress response. In addition, RCD1.1 but not RCD1.2 is able to interact with the stress regulators and attenuates salt‐sensitivity by decreasing salt‐induced cell death in smeb‐1 mutant. Together, our findings uncovered the essential role of SmEb in the regulation of alternative pre‐mRNA splicing in salt stress response.
Narco‐spectrality: Narco‐aesthetics and hauntings in the short filmPánico en Pánuco
Authors: Vizcarra Mael
Published: January 2023

This article uses text and film to demonstrate how the affective and sensory dimensions of narco‐power in contemporary Mexico haunt the familiar. As a case study, I draw on footage documenting my family's trip to Sinaloa to visit my father's birthplace in the rural mining town of Pánuco. Through an analysis of the ghosts produced by the filmmaking process and the disruptions to our travels by an increasingly tangible threat of narco‐violence, this article explores how fear and distrust reshape a pastoral aesthetics of family leisure. Film is adept at exploring sensory, affective, and embodied aspects of everyday experience. Here it is used to evoke unfolding tensions among my family members, underlining the ways narco‐terror manifests atmospherically and as an embodied experience. Film and text here narrate a subjective experience of narco‐power and make the case for the ways a spectral narco‐aesthetics, or narco‐spectrality, permeate the familiar.
Response Bias in Survey Measures of Expectations: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Expectations’ Inflation Module
Authors: Comerford David A.
Published: January 2023

The Survey of Consumer Expectations (SCE) infers respondents’ inflation expectations from density forecasts. Using numeracy data and tests for coherence among 117,000 respondents to the SCE, I find that density forecasts suffer non‐negligible reporting bias and selective nonresponse. A simple verbal question collected by the SCE suffers neither of these deficiencies and so has better properties to deliver an accurate snapshot of the population's inflation expectations than the headline measures of inflation expectations published by the SCE. I demonstrate how the verbal measure can be harnessed to improve the signal‐to‐noise ratio in density forecasts.
Hericerin derivatives activates a pan‐neurotrophic pathway in central hippocampal neurons converging to ERK1/2 signaling enhancing spatial memory
Authors: Martínez‐Mármol Ramón , Chai YeJin , Conroy Jacinta N. , Khan Zahra , Hong Seong‐Min , Kim Seon Beom , Gormal Rachel S. , Lee Dae Hee , Lee Jae Kang , Coulson Elizabeth J. , Lee Mi Kyeong , Kim Sun Yeou , Meunier Frédéric A.
Published: January 2023

The traditional medicinal mushroom Hericium erinaceus is known for enhancing peripheral nerve regeneration through targeting nerve growth factor (NGF) neurotrophic activity. Here, we purified and identified biologically new active compounds from H. erinaceus, based on their ability to promote neurite outgrowth in hippocampal neurons. N‐de phenylethyl isohericerin (NDPIH), an isoindoline compound from this mushroom, together with its hydrophobic derivative hericene A, were highly potent in promoting extensive axon outgrowth and neurite branching in cultured hippocampal neurons even in the absence of serum, demonstrating potent neurotrophic activity. Pharmacological inhibition of tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) by ANA‐12 only partly prevented the NDPIH‐induced neurotrophic activity, suggesting a potential link with BDNF signaling. However, we found that NDPIH activated ERK1/2 signaling in the absence of TrkB in HEK‐293T cells, an effect that was not sensitive to ANA‐12 in the presence of TrkB. Our results demonstrate that NDPIH acts via a complementary neurotrophic pathway independent of TrkB with converging downstream ERK1/2 activation. Mice fed with H. erinaceus crude extract and hericene A also exhibited increased neurotrophin expression and downstream signaling, resulting in significantly enhanced hippocampal memory. Hericene A therefore acts through a novel pan‐neurotrophic signaling pathway, leading to improved cognitive performance.

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Efficacy of ferric carboxymaltose for treatment of iron deficiency anemia diagnosed in the third trimester of pregnancy: A case–control study
Authors: Busnelli Andrea , Fabiani Chiara , Acerboni Stefano , Moretti Montefusco Sarah , Di Simone Nicoletta , Setti Paolo Emanuele Levi , Bulfoni Alessandro
Published: January 2023

Aim

To assess the efficacy of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose (IV FCM) for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) diagnosed de novo in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Methods

Case–control study conducted in pregnant women with IDA newly diagnosed in the third trimester of pregnancy. Women treated with a single IV FCM injection were included as cases and those who received daily 210 g of oral ferrous sulphate (FS) as controls. Controls were matched to cases in a 2:1 ratio by basal hemoglobin (Hb) concentration (±0.5 g/dl).

Results

A total of 35 cases and 70 controls were included in the study. The mean Hb concentration level significantly increased after iron treatment in both cases (from 9.3 ± 0.8 to 11.1 ± 0.8 g/dl, p < 0.0001) and controls (from 9.6 ± 0.9 to 10.9 ± 1 g/dl, p < 0.0001). The rate of women who exceeded the recommended threshold of 11 g/dl after treatment did not significantly differ between cases (63% (95%CI, 45%–79%)) and controls (56% (95%CI, 44%–68%)) (p = 0.48). Comparison of maternal and neonatal outcomes and adverse effects did not show any significant difference between groups.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that IV FCM and oral FS can be considered equally effective in the treatment of IDA newly detected in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Do people diagnosed with psychosis spectrum disorders share the same personality space as the general population? Big Five complemented by the proneness to psychotic‐like experiences/behaviors
Authors: Ristić Ivan , Knežević Goran , Ristić Dragana Ignjatović , Miljević Čedo , Jerotić Stefan , Marić Nađa P.
Published: January 2023

Objective

Disintegration is a recently proposed broad, trait‐like reconceptualization of the proneness to psychotic‐like experiences/behaviors.

Methods

We tested the assumption that the 6‐factor model (Five‐Factor traits plus Disintegration) was the most adequate one and that it was invariant across clinical and non‐clinical populations. The clinical sample (n = 161) consisted of patients who had at least one psychotic episode, duration of illness less than 10 years, currently in remission. The general population (n = 409) was matched with the patient sample by age, gender, and education. NEO PI‐R and DELTA were used to measure personality dimensions in both samples. Invariance of one to six‐factor solutions was tested by Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling.

Results

We found that: (a) several criteria for deciding on the number of factors to retain converged to the conclusion that the assumed 6‐factor model was the most adequate one, (b) the assumed factorial structure appeared to satisfy the criteria for the scalar invariance across the two samples, (c) all nine Disintegration subdimensions separated from the Big Five, forming the Disintegration factor, and (d) Disintegration was unrelated to Openness.

Conclusion

The Big Five personality structure—complemented with disintegration—was invariant across individuals from the general population and patients with psychosis.
Employer risk‐adjustment transitions with inertial consumers: Evidence from CalPERS
Authors: Handel Benjamin , Hong Nianyi , Hua Lynn M. , Ito Yuki
Published: January 2023

Risk‐adjustment policies, which transfer money from insurers with healthy consumers to those with sick consumers, are an important tool to contend with adverse selection in health insurance markets. While the steady‐state properties of risk‐adjustment have been studied extensively, there is less evidence on the transition phase of policy implementation. We study the introduction and removal of risk‐adjustment at California Public Employees' Retirement System and show that these changes meaningfully impact premiums via plan differences in enrollee health status. Despite these premium differences, there is limited consumer resorting due to consumer inertia, though new active enrollees respond more fluidly. We show that, with inertial consumers, risk‐adjustment changes have substantial distributional consequences, leading to worse outcomes for sicker consumers when removed and vice‐versa when implemented. We estimate a model of plan choice with premium sensitivity, brand preferences, and inertia and use these estimates to study the interaction between risk‐adjustment policies and the strength of inertia.
Research‐practice partnerships: Adapting a care coordination intervention for rural Veterans over 3 years at multiple sites
Authors: Zullig Leah L. , Lewinski Allison A. , Woolson Sandra L. , White‐Clark Courtney , Miller Christopher , Bosworth Hayden B. , Burleson Stephanie C. , Garrett Mary P. , Darling Kristen L. , Crowley Matthew J.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Rural Veterans are more likely than urban Veterans to qualify for community care (Veterans Health Administration [VHA]‐paid care delivered outside of VHA) due to wait times ≥30 days and longer travel times for VHA care. For rural Veterans receiving both VHA and community care, suboptimal care coordination between VHA and community providers can result in poor follow‐up and care fragmentation. We developed Telehealth‐based Coordination of Non‐VHA Care (TECNO Care) to address this problem.

Methods

We iteratively developed and adapted TECNO Care with partners from the VHA Office of Rural Health and site‐based Home Telehealth Care in the Community programs. Using templated electronic health record notes, Home Telehealth nurses contacted Veterans monthly to facilitate communication with VHA/community providers, coordinate referrals, reconcile medications, and follow up on acute episodes. We evaluated TECNO Care using a patient‐level, pre‐post effectiveness assessment and rapid qualitative analysis with individual interviews of Veterans and VHA collaborators. Our primary effectiveness outcome was a validated care coordination quality measure. We calculated mean change scores for each care continuity domain.

Findings

Between March 2019 and October 2021, 83 Veterans received TECNO Care. Veterans were predominately White (86.4%) and male (88.6%) with mean age 71.4 years (SD 10.4). Quantitative data demonstrated improvements in perceived care coordination following TECNO Care in 7 categories. Qualitative interviews indicated that Veterans and Home Telehealth nurses perceived TECNO Care as beneficial and addressing an area of high need.

Conclusions

TECNO Care appeared to improve the coordination of VHA and community care and was valued by Veterans.
Autoregressive conditional proportion: A multiplicative‐error model for (0,1)‐valued time series
Authors: Aknouche Abdelhakim , Dimitrakopoulos Stefanos
Published: January 2023

We propose a multiplicative autoregressive conditional proportion (ARCP) model for (0,1)‐valued time series, in the spirit of GARCH (generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic) and ACD (autoregressive conditional duration) models. In particular, our underlying process is defined as the product of a (0,1)‐valued independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) sequence and the inverted conditional mean, which, in turn, depends on past reciprocal observations in such a way that is larger than unity. The probability structure of the model is studied in the context of the stochastic recurrence equation theory, while estimation of the model parameters is performed with the exponential quasi‐maximum likelihood estimator (EQMLE). The consistency and asymptotic normality of the EQMLE are both established under general regularity assumptions. Finally, the usefulness of our proposed model is illustrated with two real datasets.
Bottom‐up and top‐down control of seagrass overgrazing by the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla
Authors: Moreira‐Saporiti Agustín , Hoeijmakers Dieuwke , Reuter Hauke , Msuya Flower E. , Gese Katrin , Teichberg Mirta
Published: January 2023

The lack of top‐down control on Tripneustes gratilla, a sea urchin commonly known to graze on seagrass, and the bottom‐up control of its feeding preference, led to the overgrazing of seagrass meadows of the species Thalassodendron ciliatum in Changuu Island (Zanzibar Archipelago). The impact of overgrazing on seagrasses was assessed by mapping the presence of grazed versus non‐grazed seagrass patches in the study site, while the top‐down control on T. gratilla was assessed by measuring the abundance of its fish predators. The feeding preference and distribution of T. gratilla were characterized by calculating the electivity indexes for each seagrass species and measuring sea urchin density, respectively. Approximately half of the patches of T. ciliatum were overgrazed, while predatory fishes of T. gratilla were absent from the site. The Vanderploeg and Scavia's Relativized Electivity Index indicated that T. gratilla had a feeding preference for T. ciliatum, which was also supported by higher urchin densities within T. ciliatum dominated patches. Bottom‐up control of grazing activity was observed by quantifying and analyzing morphological, nutritional, and the chemical defense traits of the seagrass in relation to feeding preference and urchin density. Feeding was positively correlated to the seagrass tissue C:P ratio (ρ = 0.9), whereas urchin density showed no correlations. The bottom‐up control of the feeding preference and agglomeration of T. gratilla in T. ciliatum meadows, together with the lack of evidence of substantial top‐down control and the long recovery time of T. ciliatum led to the overgrazing of this species at this site. Overgrazing, therefore, was shown to be the result of multiple factors ranging from the traits of the seagrass and feeding preference of T. gratilla, to the abundance of predators in this area.
Does baseline EEG activity differ in the transition to or from a chronic pain state? A longitudinal study
Authors: Schuurman Britt B. , Vossen Catherine J. , van Amelsvoort Therese A. M. J. , Lousberg Richel L.
Published: January 2023

Background and Aim

Identifying EEG brain markers might yield better mechanistic insights into how chronic pain develops and could be treated. An existing longitudinal EEG study gave us the opportunity to determine whether the development of pain is accompanied by less alpha power—ie, a “relaxed” brain state—and vice versa.

Methods

Five‐minute resting EEG with the eyes open was measured 2 times in 95 subjects at T0 (baseline) and T1 (6 months later). Based on the Short‐Form Health Survey and Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire, subjects were divided into 4 groups: staying pain‐free (n = 44), developing chronic pain (n = 8), becoming pain‐free (n = 15), and ongoing chronic pain (n = 28). The EEG data of 14 electrodes were analyzed by multilevel regression.

Results

The group that developed chronic pain demonstrated less power in the lower‐frequency bands over time during the resting state EEG, whereas the transition to a pain‐free state had the opposite pattern. Thus, the a priori hypothesis was confirmed.

Conclusions

Transitions in pain states are linked to a change in baseline EEG activity. Future research is needed to replicate these results in a larger study sample and in targeted clinical populations. Furthermore, these results might be beneficial in optimizing neurofeedback algorithms for the treatment of chronic pain.
Genetic loci and candidate genes with pleiotropic effects for tofu and soymilk weights across multiple environments in soybean (Glycine max)
Authors: Huang Meihong , Chen Shiliang , Li Wenlong , Tian Rui , Zhang Hua , Shao Zhenqi , Li Xihuan , Zhang Caiying
Published: January 2023

Soybean provides large amounts of protein for human, and the most popular consumption pattern is tofu and soymilk. Recently, the demand of tofu and soymilk is increased, and the breeding of special variety becomes very urgent. To illustrate the genetic basis of these traits, 269 accessions were evaluated under six environments, and 32 associated SNPs were identified on nine chromosomes across multiple environments or conferring diverse traits. Of these SNPs, 16 were demonstrated by BLUP values. Seven adjacent‐SNPs were first identified to associate with tofu and soymilk weights in an 1.02‐Mb region on chromosome 8, which were verified by BLUP‐values. Meanwhile, four neighbouring SNPs in a 0.32‐Mb region on chromosome 12 were first identified to associate with these traits across multiple environments, of which three were detected in BLUP values. Furthermore, some candidate genes, that is, α‐glucan water dikinase Glyma.08G283700 and E3 SUMO‐protein ligase Glyma.12G071300, were screened out with differential expressions between the high‐ and low‐tofu/soymilk‐output accessions. Thus, these associated SNPs and candidate genes provide new insight into the genetic basis of tofu and soymilk processing quality in soybean.
Effect of self‐constructed concept map with peer feedback on chemistry learning outcome
Authors: Oni Oluwasola S. , Adesope Olusola O. , Wong Rachel , Nishida Krista
Published: January 2023

Concept mapping remains widely used in education. However, little is known about how self‐constructed concept maps and peer feedback can improve student learning outcomes in chemistry. We investigated the effects of peer feedback on concept mapping and how it improves students' learning performance in a large second‐semester, introductory chemistry course. Three hundred and twenty students were randomly assigned to one of two concept mapping conditions: self‐constructed concept map with peer feedback and self‐constructed concept map without peer feedback. Each group constructed concept maps that depicted the relationship between concepts on the topic of intermolecular force. The results showed that students in the self‐constructed concept map with peer feedback condition outperformed students in the no peer feedback condition in chemistry learning outcome. Overall, this study demonstrates that peer feedback enhances the effectiveness of learning with generative concept maps. The implications and future directions are discussed.
MRI features can help to confirm a diagnosis of progressive myelomalacia, but may not be accurate in dogs lacking characteristic clinical signs at the time of imaging
Authors: Cordle Katelyn J. , Seiler Gabriela S. , Barnes Danielle , Olby Natasha J.
Published: January 2023

Progressive myelomalacia (PMM) is a fatal sequela of acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs, with unpredictable onset in the days after the inciting injury. No single reliable diagnostic test is currently available. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features such as T2‐weighted spinal cord hyperintensity and loss of subarachnoid signal in a half‐Fourier single‐shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) sequence have been associated with PMM, but are sometimes present in other dogs with severe deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging findings in 22 dogs with a clinical or histopathologic diagnosis of PMM and 38 deep pain‐negative paraplegic dogs were compared in a retrospective case‐control study. Length of T2‐weighted hyperintense spinal cord change and HASTE signal loss were significantly associated with clinically evident PMM (P = .0019 and P = .0085), however, there were no significant differences between groups when analysis was restricted to dogs not yet showing clinical signs of PMM. The PMM group also had significantly shorter compressive lesions than the control group (P = 0.026), suggesting a possible role of more severe focal pressure at the extrusion site. A segment of total loss of contrast enhancement in the venous sinuses and meninges, a feature not previously described, was more common in the PMM group and the difference approached significance (P = 0.054). Findings show that MRI features can support the diagnosis in dogs with clinical evidence of PMM, and absence of these features supports absence of PMM at time of imaging. However, their absence does not reliably differentiate dogs with imminent progressive myelomalacia from other dogs with severe deficits following intervertebral disc extrusion.
The Struggle for Development in Iran
Authors: Azadi Pooya , Mesgaran Mohsen B. , Mirramezani Matin
Published: January 2023

What Happened in Iran? provides a holistic analysis of Iran’s struggle for development over the past half century with a focus on institutions and fundamental socio-economic trends. The past few decades in Iran have been a period of sluggish and non-inclusive economic growth, ill-fated social engineering with an Islamic template, political repression, and extensive environmental degradation. Much of the literature on Iran has focused on its ideological and political landscape and geopolitical issues, while largely overlooking the role of the fundamental forces of the economy and social undercurrents. The aim of this book is to help fill this gap through a data-driven and interdisciplinary approach. The authors strived to produce an unbiased account of the issue of developments in Iran using data that they meticulously collected from hundreds of sources over several years. The book has an ambitious scope—covering a wide array of subjects including governance, political economy, macroeconomy, demography, education, energy, food, and the environment. The content of the book is organized such that it helps readers gain a better understanding of the complex interactions among different dimensions of development.
Jobless Growth in the Dominican Republic
Authors: Krohn-Hansen Christian
Published: January 2023

The Dominican Republic has posted impressive economic growth rates over the past thirty years. Despite this, the generation of new, good jobs has been remarkably weak. How have ordinary and poor Dominicans worked and lived in the shadow of the country's conspicuous growth rates? This book considers this question through an ethnographic exploration of the popular economy in the Dominican capital. Focusing on the city's precarious small businesses, including furniture manufacturers, food stalls, street-corner stores, and savings and credit cooperatives, Krohn-Hansen shows how people make a living, tackle market shifts, and the factors that characterize their relationship to the state and pervasive corruption.
Empirically grounded, this book examines the condition of the urban masses in Santo Domingo, offering an original and captivating contribution to the scholarship on popular economic practices, urban changes, and today's Latin America and the Caribbean. This will be essential reading for scholars and policy makers.
Jobless Growth, “No Labor” Futures, and the Investigation of Popular Economies
Authors: Krohn-Hansen Christian
Published: January 2023

Formal-sector employment, with a decent wage and workers’ rights, remains an unrealistic possibility for large parts of the world’s poor masses. How do we best examine the popular economies in the many vast city landscapes that, throughout the last decades, have appeared in the global South? This chapter aims to answer this broad question that has emerged from the book’s attempts to explore the economy in Santo Domingo. The first section of this chapter argues that we still need to have a strong interest in labor and the labor concept—in spite of the picture of the labor market, or the global lack of “proper jobs.” The second section insists that we need empirical, grounded analyses of the articulations between labor and time, between particular labor activities and concrete, specific time landscapes. The third section emphasizes that it remains important to ask who accesses land and housing.
The Neighborhood Effect
Authors: Ohanyan Anna
Published: January 2023

The first chapter introduces the core arguments of the book. In particular, it presents the framework of regional connectivity on the former imperial peripheries, identifying the imperial legacies of regional instability and armed conflict on parts of the Eurasian continent. The chapter defines regions as systems that predate the state-centric system of world politics. This regions-before-state paradigm presents the methodology of regional connectivity (fracture/resilience), the neighborhood effect. It shows how the structure and distribution of societal connectivity within formal empires, as well as within nation-states, matters for the management of contemporary armed conflict. The chapter distinguishes between imperial and Westphalian (state-centric) approaches to regional studies. It provides theoretical implications for comparative regional studies.
How to Study Imperial Peripheries as Political Regions
Authors: Ohanyan Anna
Published: January 2023

This chapter starts by situating the concept and theory of regional fracture/resilience in the context of the methodology of comparative historical analysis. This is followed by a concept development section, which then connects with the discussion of imperial peripheries as political regions. This section draws from the scholarship on social capital and produces a typology of connectivity on imperial peripheries. Categories of imperial peripheries are then profiled, according to their resilience, limited resilience, latent fracture, or subjection to predation. The empirical cases are discussed in the context of this typology. The chapter concludes with case selection, and a note on the descriptive and causal inferences that have emerged from this research design.
Study of Sooting Propensity and Related Indices Based on Tests With Isolated Droplets
Authors: Muelas Álvaro , Sanz Sofía , Ballester Javier
Published: January 2023

This work compares two approaches to characterize the sooting propensity of liquid fuels, namely, the Threshold Soot Index (TSI) obtained from smoke point measurements and the Isolated Droplet Soot Yield (IDSY), an original metric expressing the mass of soot collected from single droplets vaporizing under a hot atmosphere representative of conventional flames. The TSI of different fuels was experimentally obtained by means of a computer-vision method, whereas their IDSY was extracted using a free-falling droplet combustion facility. The results clearly pointed to a linear dependency of the IDSY with mass fraction, allowing to propose a mixture rule for this index for a significantly broader measuring range than that allowed by the smoke point lamp. A nonlinear correlation was found between IDSY and TSI, with relevant deviations for some compounds. These deviations could advise to consider which of the available indices (TSI, IDSY, others) would be more adequate to emulate the sooting behavior.
On plane-wave reflection from a two-layer marine sediment: A surficial layer with linear sound speed profile overlying an iso-speed basement
Authors: Buckingham Michael J.
Published: January 2023

An analysis of plane wave reflection is developed for a two-layer sediment, the top layer consisting of a fine-grained material (mud) with an upward refracting linear sound speed profile. Beneath is a homogeneous basement, and above is homogeneous seawater. A rather curious, exact analytical expression for the reflection coefficient is derived, involving easy to evaluate integrals over finite limits, of the modified Bessel functions of low-integer order. The expression is generally valid for any linear profile with positive gradient in the surficial mud layer and for any sound speed in the basement, either greater than or less than that in the seawater. For “fast” basements, a critical angle always exists that is independent of the sound speed in the mud layer. With a “slow” basement, a quasi-angle of intromission may exist, which depends only weakly on both frequency and the gradient of the profile in the mud, a conclusion that may be relevant to the conditions of the Seabed Characterization Experiment (2017) performed over the New England Mud Patch. With both types of basement, fast and slow, the reflection coefficient, as a function of grazing angle, exhibits fluctuations that are strongly frequency dependent, associated with resonances and anti-resonances in the mud layer.
“It Shaped My Future in Ways I Wasn’t Prepared for—in the Best Way Possible”: Alumni Volunteers’ Experiences in an Adapted Sports and Recreation Program
Authors: Wekesser Meredith , Costa Guilherme H. , Pasik Piotr J. , Erickson Karl
Published: January 2023

Adapted sport participation can have many positive benefits for adults with disabilities. However, one barrier to implementing successful adapted sport programs is lack of knowledgeable volunteers who understand accessibility and disability. In fact, little is known about volunteers’ experiences in adapted sport programs. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively examine experiences of able-bodied volunteers in an adapted sport program. A sample of 105 able-bodied volunteers (Mage = 24.28 ± 1.93) completed an online qualitative survey to share their experiences. Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis, and seven main themes were identified. Results showed that despite differences in initial motives for volunteering, involvement in an adapted sport program was transformative and, for some, life changing. Able-bodied volunteers experienced a wide range of benefits including deeper understanding and awareness of disability and inclusion in sport. Practical recommendations are provided for volunteer-based adapted sport program leaders.
External Connectivity Evaluation of Community Open Spaces for Older Adults
Authors: Sun Yi , Yuan Ye
Published: January 2023

External connectivity refers to the service opportunities provided by community open spaces that are influenced by the factors such as traffic distance, road conditions, residence patterns, and population distribution. It is an important factor in determining access to community open spaces. This has important implications for promoting walking behavior and community physical activity among aging urban populations. Using the accessibility evaluation method, we proposed an external connectivity of the community open spaces model from the community perspective and conducted an empirical study using the Overseas Chinese Town community in Shenzhen as an example. External connectivity of the community open spaces can be used to evaluate the efficiency of community open spaces, serving as a reference for open space optimization. Moreover, it has applicable value in promoting physical activity and healthy aging among older adults.