bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resting-State Amygdala Subregion and Precuneus Connectivity Provide Evidence for a Dimensional Approach to Studying Social Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Mizzi Simone , Pedersen Mangor , Rossell Susan L , Rendell Peter , Terrett Gill , Heinrichs Markus , Labuschagne Izelle
Published: March 2022

Background

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent and disabling mental health condition, characterized by excessive fear and anxiety in social situations. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms have been increasingly used to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of SAD in the absence of threat-related stimuli. Previous studies have primarily focused on the role of the amygdala in SAD. However, the amygdala consists of functionally and structurally distinct subregions, and recent studies have highlighted the importance of investigating the role of these subregions independently.

Method

Using multiband fMRI, we analyzed resting-state data from 135 participants (42 SAD, 93 healthy controls). By employing voxel-wise permutation testing, we examined group differences of fMRI connectivity and associations between fMRI connectivity and social anxiety symptoms to further investigate the classification of SAD as a categorical or dimensional construct.

Results

Seed-to-whole brain functional connectivity analysis using multiple ‘seeds’ including the amygdala and its subregions and the precuneus, revealed no statistically significant group differences. However, social anxiety severity was significantly negatively correlated with functional connectivity of the precuneus - perigenual anterior cingulate cortex and positively correlated with functional connectivity of the amygdala (specifically the superficial subregion) - parietal/cerebellar areas.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate clear links between symptomatology and brain connectivity in the absence of diagnostic differences, with evidence of amygdala subregion-specific alterations. The observed brain-symptom associations did not include disturbances in the brain’s fear circuitry (i.e., disturbances in connectivity between amygdala - prefrontal regions) likely due to the absence of threat-related stimuli.
A strategy to optimize the peptide-based inhibitors against different mutants of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Priya Prerna , Basit Abdul , Bandyopadhyay Pradipta
Published: March 2022

SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused high-priority health concerns at a global level. Vaccines have stalled the proliferation of viruses to some extent. Yet, the emergence of newer, potentially more infectious, and dangerous mutants such as delta and omicron are among the major challenges in finding a more permanent solution for this pandemic. The effectiveness of antivirals Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, authorized for emergency use by the FDA, are yet to be assessed at larger populations. Patients with a high risk of disease progression or hospitalization have received treatment with a combination of antibodies (antibody-cocktail). Most of the mutations leading to the new lineage of SARS-CoV-2 are found in the spike protein of this virus that plays a key role in facilitating host entry. The current study has investigated how to modify a promising peptide-based inhibitor of spike protein, LCB3, against common mutations in the target protein so that it retains its efficacy against the spike protein. LCB3 being a prototype for protein-based inhibitors is an ideal testing system to learn about protein-based inhibitors. Two common mutations N501Y and K417N are considered in this work. Using a structure-based approach that considers free energy decomposition of residues, distance, and the interactions between amino acids, we propose the substitutions of amino acid residues of LCB3 inhibitors. Our binding free energy calculations suggest a possible improvement in the binding affinity of existing inhibitor LCB3 to the mutant forms of the S-protein using simple substitutions at specific positions of the inhibitor. This approach, being general, can be used in different inhibitors and other mutations and help in fighting against SARS-CoV-2.
Achieving pan-microbiome biological insights via the dbBact knowledge base
Authors: Amir Amnon , Ozel Eitan , Haberman Yael , Shental Noam
Published: March 2022

16S rRNA amplicon sequencing provides a relatively inexpensive culture-independent method for studying the microbial world. Although thousands of such studies have examined diverse habitats, it is difficult for researchers to use this vast trove of experiments when analyzing their findings and interpret them in a broader context. To bridge this gap, we introduce dbBact, an open wiki-like bacterial knowledge base. dbBact combines information from hundreds of studies across diverse habitats, creating a collaborative central repository where 16S rRNA amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) are manually extracted from each study and assigned multiple ontology-based terms. Using the >900 studies of dbBact, covering more than 1,400,000 associations between 345,000 ASVs and 6,500 ontology terms, we show how the dbBact statistical and programmatic pipeline can augment standard microbiome analysis. We use multiple examples to demonstrate how dbBact leads to formulating novel hypotheses regarding inter-host similarities, intra-host sources of bacteria, and commonalities across different diseases, and helps detect environmental sources and identify contaminants.
Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV2 nsp3 Macrodomain
Authors: Sherrill Lavinia M. , Joya Elva E. , Walker AnnMarie , Roy Anuradha , Alhammad Yousef M. , Atobatele Moriama , Wazir Sarah , Abbas George , Keane Patrick , Zhuo Junlin , Leung Anthony K.L. , Johnson David K. , Lehtiö Lari , Fehr Anthony R. , Ferraris Dana
Published: March 2022

A series of amino acid based7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines were designed and synthesized to discern the structure activity relationships against the SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 macrodomain (Mac1), an ADP-ribosylhydrolase that is critical for coronavirus replication and pathogenesis. Structure activity studies identified compound15cas a low-micromolar inhibitor of Mac1 in two ADP-ribose binding assays. This compound also demonstrated inhibition in an enzymatic assay of Mac1 and displayed a thermal shift comparable to ADPr in the melting temperature of Mac1 supporting binding to the target protein. A structural model reproducibly predicted a binding mode where the pyrrolo pyrimidine forms a hydrogen bonding network with Asp22and the amide backbone NH of Ile23in the adenosine binding pocket and the carboxylate forms hydrogen bonds to the amide backbone of Phe157and Asp156, part of the oxyanion subsite of Mac1. Compound15calso demonstrated notable selectivity for coronavirus macrodomains when tested against a panel of ADP-ribose binding proteins. Together, this study identified several low MW, low μM Mac1 inhibitors to use as small molecule chemical probes for this potential anti-viral target and offers starting points for further optimization.

Graphical Abstract
AI based pre-screening of large bowel cancer via weakly supervised learning of colorectal biopsy histology images
Authors: Bilal Mohsin , Tsang Yee Wah , Ali Mahmoud , Graham Simon , Hero Emily , Wahab Noorul , Dodd Katherine , Sahota Harvir , Lu Wenqi , Jahanifar Mostafa , Robinson Andrew , Azam Ayesha , Benes Ksenija , Nimir Mohammed , Bhalerao Abhir , Eldaly Hesham , Ahmed Raza Shan E , Gopalakrishnan Kishore , Minhas Fayyaz , Snead David , Rajpoot Nasir
Published: March 2022

Histopathological examination is a pivotal step in the diagnosis and treatment planning of many major diseases. To facilitate the diagnostic decision-making and reduce the workload of pathologists, we present an AI-based pre-screening tool capable of identifying normal and neoplastic colon biopsies. To learn the differential histological patterns from whole slides images (WSIs) stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), our proposed weakly supervised deep learning method requires only slide-level labels and no detailed cell or region-level annotations. The proposed method was developed and validated on an internal cohort of biopsy slides (n=4 292) from two hospitals labeled with corresponding diagnostic categories assigned by pathologists after reviewing case reports. Performance of the proposed colon cancer pre-screening tool was evaluated in a cross-validation setting using the internal cohort (n=4 292) and also by an external validation on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort (n=731). With overall cross-validated classification accuracy (AUROC = 0.9895) and external validation accuracy (AUROC = 0.9746), the proposed tool promises high accuracy to assist with the pre-screening of colorectal biopsies in clinical practice. Analysis of saliency maps confirms the representation of disease heterogeneity in model predictions and their association with relevant pathological features. The proposed AI tool correctly reported some slides as neoplastic while clinical reports suggested they were normal. Additionally, we analyzed genetic mutations and gene enrichment analysis of AI-generated neoplastic scores to gain further insight into the model predictions and explore the association between neoplastic histology and genetic heterogeneity through representative genes and signaling pathways.
Medium-term impacts of the waves of the COVID-19 epidemic on treatments for non-COVID-19 patients in intensive care units: a retrospective cohort study in Japan
Authors: Watanabe Shusuke , Shin Jung-ho , Okuno Takuya , Morishita Tetsuji , Takada Daisuke , Kunisawa Susumu , Imanaka Yuichi
Published: March 2022

Background

Maintaining critical care for non-Coronavirus-disease-2019 (non-COVID-19) patients is a key pillar of tackling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to reveal the medium-term impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic on case volumes and quality of intensive care for critically ill non-COVID-19 patients.

Methods

Administrative data were used to investigate the trends in case volumes of admissions to intensive care units (ICUs) compared with the previous years. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of non-COVID-19 ICU patients were calculated in each wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Japan.

Results

The ratios of new ICU admissions of non-COVID-19 patients to those in the corresponding months before the epidemic: 21% in May 2020, 8% in August 2020, 9% in February 2021, and 14% in May 2021, approximately concurrent with the peaks in COVID-19 infections. The decrease was greatest for new ICU admissions of non-COVID patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV) on the first day of ICU admission: 26%, 15%, 19%, and 19% in the first, second, third, and fourth waves, respectively. No statistically significant change in SMR was observed in any wave of the epidemic; SMRs were 0.990 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.962-1.019), 0.979 (95% CI, 0.953-1.006), 0.996 (95% CI, 0.980-1.013), and 0.989 (95% CI, 0.964-1.014), in the first, second, third, and fourth waves of the epidemic, respectively.

Conclusions

Compared to the previous years, the number of non-COVID-19 ICU patients continuously decreased over the medium term during the COVID-19 epidemic. The decrease in case volumes was larger in non-COVID-19 ICU patients initially receiving MV than those undergoing other initial treatments. The standardized in-hospital mortality of non-COVID-19 ICU patients did not change in any waves of the epidemic.

EYWORDS

Intensive care unit, COVID-19, mechanical ventilation, in-hospital mortality
Structural analysis of the bacterial amyloid curli
Authors: Sleutel Mike , Pradhan Brajabandhu , Remaut Han
Published: March 2022

Two decades have passed since the initial proposition that amyloids are not only (toxic) byproducts of an unintended aggregation cascade, but that they can also be produced by an organism to serve a defined biological function. That revolutionary idea was borne out of the realization that a large fraction of the extracellular matrix that holds Gram-negative cells into a persistent biofilm is composed of protein fibers (curli; tafi) with cross-β architecture, nucleation-dependent polymerization kinetics and classic amyloid tinctorial properties. The list of proteins shown to form so-called ‘functional’ amyloid fibers in vivo has greatly expanded over the years, but detailed structural insights have not followed at a similar pace, in part due to the associated experimental barriers. Here we combine extensive AlphaFold2 modelling and cryo-electron transmission microscopy to propose an atomic model of curli protofibrils, and their higher modes of organization. We uncover an unexpected structural diversity of curli building blocks and fibril architectures. Our results allow for a rationalization of the extreme physico-chemical robustness of curli, as well as earlier observations of inter-species curli promiscuity, and should facilitate further engineering efforts to expand the repertoire of curli-based functional materials.
Inhibition of advanced glycation end product formation and serum protein infiltration in bioprosthetic heart valve leaflets: Investigations of anti-glycation agents
Authors: Zakharchenko Andrey , Rock Christopher A. , Thomas Tina , Keeney Samuel , Hall Emily , Takano Hajime , Krieger Abba M. , Ferrari Giovanni , Levy Robert J.
Published: March 2022

Bioprosthetic heart valves (BHV) fabricated from glutaraldehyde pretreated heterograft tissue, such as bovine pericardium (BP) are the most commonly used heart valve replacements. However, BHV durability is limited by structural valve degeneration (SVD) resulting from both calcification and advanced glycation end product (AGE) deposition together with serum protein infiltration. In the present study we investigated the hypothesis that anti-AGE agents, Aminoguanidine (AG), Pyridoxamine (PYR), and N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) could mitigate AGE-serum protein mechanisms in model studies, both in vitro and in vivo, using rat subdermal implants of BP. In vitro studies demonstrated that each of these agents could significantly inhibit AGE formation in BP. However, in rat 28 days BP subdermal implants, only PYR demonstrated both significant inhibition of AGE and serum albumin accumulation per immunostaining. BHV calcification was not mitigated by PYR. It is concluded that AGE-serum protein pathophysiology contributing to SVD can be ameliorated by PYR.
Impact of stakeholder management on efficient construction waste management
Authors: Frempong-Jnr Emmanuel Yaw , Ametepey Simon Ofori , Cobbina John Edward
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The construction industry’s contribution to environmental deterioration is widely established in the literature, implying that addressing this issue will require a coordinated effort from all stakeholders. According to literature, stakeholder involvement without stakeholder management (SKM) is not enough, in ensuring efficient construction waste management (CWM). This study investigates the impact of SKM on efficient CWM by aggregating all relevant SKM variables and measuring their degree of influence on efficient CWM.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a four-stage research approach that included a literature review, a pilot study, a questionnaire survey and statistical analysis. After a thorough examination of the literature, nine essential SKM factors were identified and tested by a questionnaire survey following a pilot study. A total of 310 questionnaires were filled out and returned for analysis (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis).

Findings

The study established that SKM is a unidimensional construct since all the variables extracted unto one underlying component with total variance explained (TVE), accounting for 58.938% of the total Variance in the measure of SKM in efficient CWM. Additionally, the reliability and validity test results satisfied the recommended thresholds, thus justifying the factorability of the construct. Furthermore, the hypothesis test revealed that SKM has a statistically significant impact on efficient CWM, implying that increasing SKM will have a beneficial impact on efficient CWM.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to material waste management in the construction industry and the outcome was determined solely by a field survey in Ghana. Extending the study to other jurisdictions would have improved its findings and made them easier to generalise.

Practical implications

The study’s findings are helpful for practitioners and researchers, especially regarding the influence of the eight SKM variables on efficient CWM.

Social implications

The study’s findings will reduce pollution, thus enhancing public health and encouraging social inclusion through the creation of jobs in the waste management chain.

Originality/value

The uniqueness of this study is anchored on the fact that no CWM study has considered all the eight SKM variables measured in this study at the same time. Also, this study has contributed to the literature by establishing the determinants of SKM in efficient CWM in Ghana.
2‐Aminoethylphosphonate utilization in Pseudomonas putida BIRD‐1 is controlled by multiple master regulators
Authors: Murphy Andrew R. J. , Scanlan David J. , Chen Yin , Bending Gary D. , Hammond John P. , Wellington Elizabeth M. H. , Lidbury Ian D. E. A.
Published: March 2022

Bacteria possess various regulatory mechanisms to detect and coordinate a response to elemental nutrient limitation. In pseudomonads, the two‐component system regulators CbrAB, NtrBC and PhoBR, are responsible for regulating cellular response to carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) respectively. Phosphonates are reduced organophosphorus compounds produced by a broad range of biota and typified by a direct C‐P bond. Numerous pseudomonads can use the environmentally abundant phosphonate species 2‐aminoethylphosphonate (2AEP) as a source of C, N, or P, but only PhoBR has been shown to play a role in 2AEP utilization. On the other hand, utilization of 2AEP as a C and N source is considered substrate inducible. Here, using the plant‐growth‐promoting rhizobacterium Pseudomonas putida BIRD‐1 we present evidence that 2AEP utilization is under dual regulation and only occurs upon depletion of C, N, or P, controlled by CbrAB, NtrBC, or PhoBR respectively. However, the presence of 2AEP was necessary for full gene expression, i.e. expression was substrate inducible. Mutation of a LysR‐type regulator, termed AepR, upstream of the 2AEP transaminase‐phosphonatase system (PhnWX), confirmed this dual regulatory mechanism. To our knowledge, this is the first study identifying coordination between global stress response and substrate‐specific regulators in phosphonate metabolism.
‘I'm always up against a brick wall with them’: parents' experiences of accessing support for their child with a newly recognised developmental disorder
Authors: McCarthy Robyn , Blackburn Carolyn , Mukherjee Raja , Fleming Kate , Allely Clare , Kirby Lauren , Cook Penny A.
Published: March 2022

Three of the most prevalent developmental disorders (DDs) are autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). As part of a study screening for DDs in Greater Manchester, UK, a unique opportunity was taken to explore parents' experiences of receiving reports about their child's previously unrecognised DD. Six parents out of a possible 16 took part in interviews, which were analysed thematically. Findings drawn from parental responses revealed a number of barriers to accessing support for their child's additional needs, including perceived resistance from schools, particularly for quiet, well‐behaved girls, and difficulty in accessing assessment or referrals. There needs to be greater awareness of additional needs in children without externalising behaviours, the presence of gender‐specific differences in the presentation of DDs, and FASD as a commonly occurring DD. Ultimately, better support for children with DDs would reduce the burden of unmet needs for the children and their families, and for wider services.
Looking Backwards, Moving Forwards: The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre and Education Trust, Community Activism and Public History Programming
Authors: Islam Safina , West E. James
Published: March 2022

Founded in memory of a Bangladeshi schoolboy who was stabbed to death in a racially motivated attack in 1986, the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust works to archive the life stories of racial and ethnic minority communities in Greater Manchester. The Trust is partnered with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE (Race Archives and Community Engagement) Centre, a specialist library focusing on the history of race, ethnicity and migration. This roundtable with former and current trustees and Centre employees reflects on the impressive development of both Trust and Centre over the past two decades. Today housed in an attractive new space at Manchester Central Library, the Centre is a vital part of the University of Manchester library network and Archives+, a partnership of archival and local history organisations. Similarly, the Trust's public history programming now includes a wealth of oral history and archiving projects, the publication of multicultural children's books, the creation of anti‐racist curriculum resources in collaboration with local schools, and other community‐based events and exhibitions. However, these successes have been hard‐won and, at times, hotly contested. We discuss the challenges of developing the Centre's collections and visibility, the evolution of the Trust's public history programming, and their shared importance and future ambitions.
“There's just too many”: The construction of immigration as a social problem
Authors: Pattison James
Published: March 2022

This article presents findings collected in 2016–2017 from a multi‐method ethnographic study of Shirebrook, Derbyshire in the English East Midlands, examining the narratives used by the local authority (LA) and local residents that construct immigration as a social problem. In doing so, it contributes to the literature on race and migration by extending analysis beyond metropolitan localities with long histories of multi‐ethnic settlement, to consider a relatively small, peripheral former colliery town. The paper demonstrates how migration is framed as a social problem by central government funding streams with consequences for localities, and the influence this has on local narratives of social change. The construction of immigration as a social problem is rooted in the constraints of austerity and longer‐term processes of deindustrialization and economic restructuring, with representations and understandings of place being constitutive of anti‐immigrant sentiment. This article deepens our understanding of responses to immigration in the UK, and has broader implications for understanding the relationship between place, state polices and local narratives.
Relationships between work–environment characteristics and behavioral health provider burnout in the Veterans Health Administration
Authors: Zivin Kara , Chang Ming‐Un Myron , Van Tony , Osatuke Katerine , Boden Matt , Sripada Rebecca K. , Abraham Kristen M. , Pfeiffer Paul N. , Kim Hyungjin Myra
Published: March 2022

Objective

To identify work–environment characteristics associated with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) behavioral health provider (BHP) burnout among psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers.

Data Sources

The 2015–2018 data from Annual All Employee Survey (AES); Mental Health Provider Survey (MHPS); N = 57,397 respondents; facility‐level Mental Health Onboard Clinical (MHOC) staffing and productivity data, N = 140 facilities.

Study Design

For AES and MHPS separately, we used mixed‐effects logistic regression to predict BHP burnout using surveys from year pairs (2015–2016, 2016–2017, 2017–2018; six models). Within each year‐pair, we used the earlier year of data to train models and tested the model in the later year, with burnout (emotional exhaustion and/or depersonalization) as the outcome for each survey. We used potentially modifiable work–environment characteristics as predictors, controlling for employee demographic characteristics as covariates, and employment facility as random intercepts.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

We included work–environment predictors that appeared in all 4 years (11 in AES; 17 in MHPS).

Principal Findings

In 2015–2018, 31.0%–38.0% of BHPs reported burnout in AES or MHPS. Work characteristics consistently associated with significantly lower burnout were included for AES: reasonable workload; having appropriate resources to perform a job well; supervisors address concerns; given an opportunity to improve skills. For MHPS, characteristics included: reasonable workload; work improves veterans' lives; mental health care provided is well‐coordinated; and three reverse‐coded items: staffing vacancies; daily work that clerical/support staff could complete; and collateral duties reduce availability for patient care. Facility‐level staffing ratios and productivity did not significantly predict individual‐level burnout. Workload represented the strongest predictor of burnout in both surveys.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated substantial, ongoing impacts that having appropriate resources including staff, workload, and supervisor support had on VHA BHP burnout. VHA may consider investing in approaches to mitigate the impact of BHP burnout on employees and their patients through providing staff supports, managing workload, and goal setting.
Advanced forensic procedure for the authentication of audio recordings generated by Voice Memos application of iOS14
Authors: Park Nam In , Shim Kyu‐Sun , Lee Ji Woo , Kim Jin‐Hwan , Lim Seong Ho , Byun Jun Seok , Kim Yong Jin , Jeon Oc‐Yeub
Published: March 2022

In this study, we propose an advanced forensic examination procedure for audio recordings generated by the Voice Memos application with iPhone Operation System (iOS)14, to verify that these are the original recordings and have not been manipulated. The proposed examination procedure consists of an analysis of the characteristics of audio recordings and of the file system of the device storing the audio recordings. To analyze the characteristics of audio recordings, we compare the encoding parameters (bitrate, sampling rate, timestamps, etc.) and the file structure to determine whether audio recordings were manipulated. Next, in the device examination step, we analyze the media‐log history and temporary files of the file system obtained by mobile forensic tools. For comparative analysis, a total of 100 audio recording samples were obtained through the Voice Memos application from five iPhone mobile handsets of different models with iOS14 installed using Advanced audio coding (AAC) or Apple lossless audio codec (ALAC). As a result of analyzing the encoding parameters between the original and manipulated audio recordings, as well as the temporary files contained in the device file system, the difference in the encoding parameters and the very unique trace of the original audio recordings in the temporary files were confirmed when manipulating the audio recordings. In particular, the primary advantage of our proposed method is its potential ability to recover original audio recordings that were subsequently manipulated via the temporary files examined in the device file system analysis.
The Capitalization Effect of Imputation Credits on Expected Stock Returns
Authors: Le Anh , Yin Xiangkang , Zhao Jing
Published: March 2022

This paper develops an equilibrium model featuring heterogeneity in investor risk tolerance across different risk sources. Using Australian data, it confirms the theoretical predictions of the model by showing that a higher imputation credit yield in one year leads to a lower stock return in the next year. This negative relationship between imputation credit yield and stock return is weaker for stocks with higher idiosyncratic risk, larger size, and higher trading turnover. Our theoretical and empirical evidence favours the aggregation approach in explaining the capitalization effect of imputation credits over the marginal investor approach.
Tropical wood stores substantial amounts of nutrients, but we have limited understanding why
Authors: Bauters Marijn , Grau Oriol , Doetterl Sebastian , Heineman Katherine D. , Dalling James W. , Prada Cecilia M. , Griepentrog Marco , Malhi Yadvinder , Riutta Terhi , Scalon Marina , Oliveras Imma , Inagawa Takeshi , Majalap Noreen , Beeckman Hans , Van den Bulcke Jan , Perring Michael P. , Dourdain Aurélie , Hérault Bruno , Vermeir Pieter , Makelele Isaac A. , Fernández Pere R. , Sardans Jordi , Peñuelas Josep , Janssens Ivan A.
Published: March 2022

Rock‐derived nutrients such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are essential plant resources, yet depleted in highly weathered tropical soils, leading to nutrient limitation of productivity or other ecosystem processes. Despite this, substantial amounts of rock‐derived nutrients occur within wood, which raises questions about the role that wood nutrients play in the ecology of tropical forests. Using data from forests across the tropics, we quantify wood nutrient stocks at individual tree and ecosystem levels. At the ecosystem level, we show that tropical wood can store substantial amounts of rock‐derived nutrients. Furthermore, on a tree level, tree species vary widely in woody nutrient concentrations. These observations raise important questions as to the biogeochemical or ecological drivers that lead to this variability, as well as the role that woody tissue plays in the buffering and cycling of nutrients. We offer some potential explanations and direction for future research to explore this under‐appreciated but sizable store of inorganic nutrients in tropical biomass.
Relationships matter: Exploring the implementation of the Quality Parenting Initiative and the foster parent experience
Authors: Lewis Ericka M. , Murugan Vithya , Williams Kimberly A. , Barth Richard P. , Lee Bethany R.
Published: March 2022

Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) is a systems reform approach aimed at strengthening the quality parenting practices of foster parents, and their support by child welfare workers. QPI has been implemented in over 80 jurisdictions across 10 states; however, no external evaluation has informed its development. This study explored perceptions of QPI's impact on the foster parent experience, with a particular focus on foster parent involvement in implementation efforts and strengthening stakeholder relationships. Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were conducted with non‐relative foster parents (N = 31). Data were analysed through thematic analysis, and a codebook was developed to adequately capture patterns in perspectives across the interviews. Study findings indicate that QPI improved the relationships between foster and birth parents through specialized training and peer‐support groups that challenged biases, articulated the roles and expectations of caregivers, and cultivated a team‐based approach to meet the best interests of children in care. Foster care agencies may benefit from incorporating strategies that promote frequent, positive interactions across stakeholders. Strengthening these relationships may be the first step in reimagining the roles of foster parents in family reunification.
Comparison of semi‐empirical and density functional approaches for the colour and constitution of anthraquinone dyes using X‐ray structure
Authors: Hwang Ji‐yong , Kim Sunghoon , Matsumoto Shinya
Published: March 2022

Theoretical calculations with density functional theory, semi‐empirical PM5 random phase approximation and Zerner's intermediate neglect of differential overlap CI were carried out for various amino and hydroxy anthraquinones using X‐ray structure data. Comparing quantum chemical calculation results based on X‐ray structure, the PM5 random phase approximation method was the most promising for the prediction of λmax for anthraquinone dyes among the computational methods studied here. From the results of calculated gross population, pz, it was found that the value of pz using the time‐dependent density functional theory method was greater than the values calculated by semi‐empirical methods. The overestimation of pz could be attributed to the incorrect density functional theory calculation results. The results of PM5 random phase approximation‐calculated oscillator strength and torsion angle showed reasonable agreement with the observed results for sterically hindered anthraquinone dyes.
Caregiver assessment of quality of life in individuals with genetic developmental and epileptic encephalopathies
Authors: Cohen Stacey R. , Helbig Ingo , Kaufman Michael C. , Schust Myers Leah , Conway Laura , Helbig Katherine L.
Published: March 2022

Aim

To summarize quality of life (QoL) and its determinants, including disease severity, in individuals with developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) through a tailored questionnaire.

Method

A questionnaire containing 89 items addressing demographic characteristics, genetic diagnosis, clinical features, and QoL was distributed to primary caregivers of individuals with DEEs through patient advocacy organizations. Composite scores were generated from the mean values of QoL items, grouped into domain scores.

Results

Out of 176 received responses, the most common genetic diagnoses reported were SCN2A (n=42/173, 24%), SLC6A1 (n=28/173, 16%), SCN1A (n=22/173, 13%), and KCNQ2 (n=21/173, 12%). Composite QoL scores centered around a mean score of 61.67 of 100 (SD 17.10). QoL scores were strongly associated with the number of days minimally disrupted by seizures, medication side effects, genetic diagnosis, and community type. The mean QoL scores for individuals with DEEs was significantly lower than for individuals with Rett syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and Down syndrome.

Interpretation

QoL in DEEs can be assessed through a standardized instrument. QoL only partially overlaps with objective measurements of disease severity and may represent an independent outcome measure in precision medicine trials.
Cortical complexity estimation using fractal dimension: A systematic review of the literature on clinical and nonclinical samples
Authors: Meregalli Valentina , Alberti Francesco , Madan Christopher R. , Meneguzzo Paolo , Miola Alessandro , Trevisan Nicolò , Sambataro Fabio , Favaro Angela , Collantoni Enrico
Published: March 2022

Fractal geometry has recently been proposed as a useful tool for characterizing the complexity of the brain cortex, which is likely to derive from the recurrence of sulci–gyri convolution patterns. The index used to describe the cortical complexity is called fractal dimensional (FD) and was employed by different research exploring the neurobiological correlates of distinct pathological and nonpathological conditions. This review aims to describe the literature on the application of this index, summarize the heterogeneities between studies and inform future research on this topic. Sixty‐two studies were included in the systematic review. The main research lines concern neurodevelopment, aging and the neurobiology of specific psychiatric and neurological disorders. Overall, the included papers indicate that cortical complexity is likely to reduce during aging and in various pathological processes affecting the brain. Nevertheless, the high heterogeneity between studies strongly prevents the possibility of drawing conclusions. Further research considering this index besides other morphological values is needed to better clarify the role of FD in characterizing the cortical structure.
The ratchetting and retained austenite transformation of medium‐manganese transformation‐induced plasticity steel during asymmetrical cyclic stressing
Authors: Chang Shuxin , Zhang Juan , Zhu Zhiwu , Kang Guozheng , Peng Lei , Huang Xingmin
Published: March 2022

The uniaxial ratchetting behavior and cyclic softening/hardening characteristics of Fe‐0.4C‐7Mn‐3.2Al steel are revealed by cyclic loading experiments. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analyses have been carried out for assessing retained austenite (RA) transformation during cyclic deformation. Fe‐0.4C‐7Mn‐3.2Al steel exhibits a gradual transition from cyclic stabilization to slight cyclic hardening with increasing strain amplitude. RA transformation is one of the reasons for cyclic hardening. The ratchetting of Fe‐0.4C‐7Mn‐3.2Al steel shows two different characteristics under asymmetrical cyclic stressing. When the stress amplitude is below a certain value, the ratchetting is similar to that of typical cyclic stabilized materials in three stages of deceleration, stabilization and acceleration. However, when the stress amplitude reaches a certain level, the ratchetting evolution accelerates from the beginning to the fracture. The results show that the interaction between transformation‐induced plasticity and ratchetting strain can lead to accelerated accumulation of plastic strain.
Theorizing the persistence of local–foreign inequality in international development organizations through the analytic of coloniality
Authors: Cook‐Lundgren Emily
Published: March 2022

This paper theorizes the persistence of inequality between “local” and “foreign” staff in international development organizations. This is a perplexing phenomenon given these organizations' aims of equality and improving lives. The paper draws on qualitative empirical material generated over a three‐month period at an American‐founded development organization in Nairobi, Kenya, including 33 interviews, observation, and organizational documents. Working with the analytic of coloniality, the analysis illustrates how unequal relations persist through the naturalization of racial difference that valorizes Western epistemic perspectives and legitimizes foreign–local difference. The onto‐epistemic grounding of this difference is obscured by organizational discourses of equality, meritocracy, and unity, which enable their persistence. In this paper, I explicate “foreign”–“local” inequality as an effect of the coloniality of development management. By demonstrating how colonial relations of domination enable contemporary inequality, this paper advances an understanding of colonial continuities in development organizations, and contributes to efforts to foreground issues of race in both organizations and international development.
Risk factors for postoperative ileus after robot‐assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion
Authors: Zennami Kenji , Sumitomo Makoto , Hasegawa Kyu , Kozako Masaki , Takahara Kiyoshi , Nukaya Takuhisa , Takenaka Masashi , Fukaya Kosuke , Ichino Manabu , Fukami Naohiko , Sasaki Hitomi , Kusaka Mamoru , Shiroki Ryoichi
Published: March 2022

Objectives

To evaluate the risk factors for postoperative ileus in patients who underwent robot‐assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 78 patients with bladder cancer who underwent robot‐assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion at Fujita Health University between 2011 and 2021. Baseline characteristics and perioperative outcomes were compared between the cohorts with and without ileus. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for postoperative ileus.

Results

Out of the 78 patients included in this study, 20 (25.6%) developed postoperative ileus. The ileus cohort was associated with a significantly lower Geriatric‐8 score (P = 0.003) and a higher rate of previous abdominal/pelvic surgery (P = 0.04) compared with those of the nonileus cohort. Significantly longer intestinal tract reconstruction time, hospital stay, time to mobilization, fluid intake, solid intake, flatus, and stool were observed in the ileus cohort. According to the results of the logistic regression analysis, the Geriatric‐8 sum (P = 0.009), time to mobilization (P = 0.03), and time to fluid intake (P = 0.004) were independent predictors of postoperative ileus. In the model predicting postoperative ileus, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.716, and the cutoff value of the Geriatric‐8 sum was 13.

Conclusions

Early mobilization and fluid intake and low Geriatric‐8 scores were significant risk factors for postoperative ileus. Preoperative Geriatric‐8 evaluation is a useful tool for predicting postoperative ileus. Comprehensive enhanced recovery after surgery, including key components, may help bowel recovery and prevent subsequent ileus.
The Limits of Financial Globalization
Authors: Stulz René M.
Published: March 2022

Although barriers to international investment have fallen sharply over the last 60 years, the positive impact of financial globalization has proved far more limited than expected. Predictions by economists (including the author) that cross‐country differences in investment and financing would narrow or even disappear have largely failed to materialize. Investors everywhere continue to hold disproportionate amounts of domestic securities in their portfolios; levels of national investment continue to be tied (and largely limited) to local savings and income; and corporate ownership structures remain more concentrated, and capital structures more highly leveraged, in countries perceived to offer less protection to outside investors.

The main explanation for the persistence of these cross‐country differences in investment and financing centers on the importance of two “agency problems”:

First, in companies with controlling shareholders (which tend to be the rule in developing economies), those shareholders can use their power to transfer value from minority shareholders. Second, those who control the state can use their power to expropriate wealth from both controlling and minority shareholders. In countries with limited protection for minority shareholders, where these “twin agency problems” are most pronounced, corporate insiders tend to “co‐invest” more with outside investors, and ownership is thus more concentrated.

But however necessary it may be to attract outside capital, such co‐investment also works to limit the benefit of financial globalization, making it less likely that risks will be shared internationally and capital invested where it is most productive. The author closes with the prediction that, as countries and their companies find more effective ways to manage these twin problems, developing and developed nations alike will benefit from increasingly global financial markets.
An unusual case of non‐reentrant atrioventricular nodal tachycardia
Authors: Raphael Craig W. , Pavri Behzad B.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Although uncommonly encountered, dual atrioventricular nodal non‐reentrant tachycardia (DAVNNRT) is a well‐described arrhythmia that can manifest in patients with dual atrioventricular nodal pathways physiology. This arrhythmia is characterized on electrocardiogram (ECG) by a single P wave followed by two conducted QRS complexes (so‐called “double fire”), and on intracardiac electrograms by a single atrial electrogram followed by two separate His deflections and ventricular electrograms.

Methods/Results

We report a rare case of “triple‐fire” atrioventricular non‐reentrant tachycardia in which a patient was found to have three distinct atrioventricular nodal pathways and multiple triple fire responses, both on surface ECG and intracardiac electrograms.

Conclusion

Multiple pathways physiology and it's clinical ramifications are discussed.
Optimal extraction condition for the recovery of bioactive compounds and antioxidants from coffee silverskin
Authors: Vimercati Wallaf Costa , da Silva Araújo Cintia , Macedo Leandro Levate , Pimenta Carlos José
Published: March 2022

Coffee silverskin (CS) is a coproduct that has been the subject of research as it contains compounds that exert beneficial effects on health. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the optimal condition for the recovery of bioactive compounds from CS. In the first step, three conventional extraction methods (at room temperature, with agitation and in Soxhlet) and four solvents (isopropanol, acetone, ethanol, and water) were tested. For the second step, the extraction curve of the total phenolic compounds was evaluated to define the extraction time, and the Peleg model was fitted. Sequentially, the temperature and concentration of the hydroalcoholic solution were optimized. The antioxidant activity (ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl assay (DPPH)), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC) were influenced by the interaction between the type of solvent and the extraction method (p < .05). Water and ethanol and the extraction method with agitation (EM‐2) were the best operating conditions obtained in the first stage. In the second step, Peleg's model was considered satisfactory to represent the extraction kinetics of the TPC, and the extraction time determined was 120 min. Higher values of extraction temperature and ethanol concentration resulted in higher recovery of bioactive compounds. The combination of the temperature of 68°C and ethanol concentration of 64% resulted in the best extraction condition by the desirability function (D = 0.88). In this condition, the values obtained for FRAP, DPPH, TPC, and TFC were 0.071 mmol Fe (II)/g CS, 706.74 g CS/g DPPH, 7.22 mg GAE/g CS, and 0.81 mg QE/g CS, respectively.

Practical Applications

Coffee silverskin (CS) is a coproduct that has a rich composition in bioactive compounds. Various conventional extraction methods and new technologies are available for the extraction of bioactive compounds from this material. Generally, conventional extraction methods are even more employed by industries, as they are better known and cheaper than new technologies. The different conventional extraction methods and the type of solvent can affect the extraction yield of bioactive compounds from CS. Therefore, it is important to know and compare the conventional extraction methods, in order to optimize the desired variables of the process and obtain greater extraction yield of bioactive compounds.