bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient Reduced Basis Algorithm (ERBA) for Kernel-Based Approximation
Authors: Marchetti Francesco , Perracchione Emma
Published: March 2022

The main purpose of this work is to provide an efficient scheme for constructing kernel-based reduced interpolation models. In the existing literature such problems are mainly addressed via the well-establishedknot insertionorknot removalschemes. Such iterative strategies are usually quite demanding from a computational point of view and our goal is to study an efficient implementation for data removal approaches, namely efficient reduced basis algorithm (ERBA). Focusing on kernel-based interpolation, the algorithm makes use of two iterative rules for removing data. The former, called ERBA-r, is based on classical residual evaluations. The latter, namely ERBA-p, is independent of the function values and relies on error bounds defined by the power function. In both cases, inspired by the so-called extended Rippa’s algorithm, our ERBA takes advantage of a fast implementation.
On the Approximation of Unbounded Convex Sets by Polyhedra
Authors: Dörfler Daniel
Published: March 2022

This article is concerned with the approximation of unbounded convex sets by polyhedra. While there is an abundance of literature investigating this task for compact sets, results on the unbounded case are scarce. We first point out the connections between existing results before introducing a new notion of polyhedral approximation called $$\left( \varepsilon , \delta \right) $$

ε
,
δ

-approximation that integrates the unbounded case in a meaningful way. Some basic results about $$\left( \varepsilon , \delta \right) $$

ε
,
δ

-approximations are proved for general convex sets. In the last section, an algorithm for the computation of $$\left( \varepsilon , \delta \right) $$

ε
,
δ

-approximations of spectrahedra is presented. Correctness and finiteness of the algorithm are proved.
How Do Adolescents Manage Information in the Relationship with Their Parents? A Latent Class Analysis of Disclosure, Keeping Secrets, and Lying
Authors: Baudat Sophie , Mantzouranis Gregory , Van Petegem Stijn , Zimmermann Grégoire
Published: March 2022

The use of disclosure and concealment strategies by adolescents in the relationship with their parents may have important implications for their adjustment. Few studies of adolescents’ information management have taken a person-centered approach, yet it is a useful way to understand variations in how they regulate information shared with their parents. This study explored adolescents’ information management constellations with their mothers and fathers, and how these patterns differ in terms of perceived need-supportive parenting, autonomous reasons for disclosure, and problematic alcohol use. Three hundred thirty-two Swiss adolescents (45% female;Mage = 15.01 years) reported information management strategies used with each parent (disclosure, keeping secrets, lying), perceptions of maternal and paternal need-supportive parenting (involvement, autonomy support, structure), autonomous reasons for disclosure, and problematic alcohol use. Latent class analyses revealed three classes:Reserved(37%),Communicators(36%), andDeceptive(27%). Comparisons across classes showed that adolescents in theCommunicatorsclass reported the highest levels of parental involvement and autonomy support, as well as autonomous reasons for disclosure. Adolescents in theDeceptiveclass reported the lowest levels of parental involvement and autonomy support, as well as autonomous reasons for disclosure. Associations between classes and problematic alcohol use were also found, such that the likelihood of problem drinking was greater for adolescents in theDeceptiveclass. These findings underscore the importance of continued information sharing with both parents, and underline how a need-supportive parenting context may encourage adolescents to talk voluntarily.
Acceptable Use: Morality and Credibility Struggles in Swedish 1960s Alcohol and Illicit Drug (Ab)use Research and Policy
Authors: Eriksson Lena , Bergman Helena
Published: March 2022

This article explores morality and credibility struggles in connection to two officially sanctioned public Swedish experiments launched in the late 1960s to investigate the (ab)use of alcohol and illicit drugs, especially in relation to young people, and the subsequent decisions to terminate the experiments and research. We argue that these 1960s struggles on how to analyze the effects of increased availability of psychoactive substances must be understood in the light of a simultaneous development of modern (social) science studies. The public display of conflicting expert views on how to investigate and interpret questions of alcohol and drugs in modern society played out in concordance with the growth of social science alcohol and drug research and expertise. The article focuses on the 1960s, a decade that was characterized by profound transformations in Swedish society. In so doing, the article contributes from the perspective of history to debates on the nexus between knowledge production and policy in modern societies.
Head-to-head Intra-individual Comparison of [68Ga]-FAPI and [18F]-FDG PET/CT in Patients with Bladder Cancer
Authors: Novruzov E. , Dendl K. , Ndlovu H. , Choyke P. L. , Dabir M. , Beu M. , Novruzov F. , Mehdi E. , Guliyev F. , Koerber S. A. , Lawal I. , Niegisch G. , Debus J. , Haberkorn U. , Sathekge M. , Giesel F. L.
Published: March 2022

Aim/Purpose

Fibroblast activation protein-(FAP)-ligands, a novel class of tracers for PET/CT imaging, demonstrated promising results in previous studies in various malignancies compared to standard [18F]FDG PET/CT. 68Ga-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor-([68Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI)-PET/CT impresses with sharp contrasts in terms of high tumor uptake and low background noise leading to clear delineation. [18F]FDG PET/CT has limited accuracy in bladder cancer due to high background signal. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the diagnostic potential of [68Ga]FAPI in patients with bladder cancer.

Material and Methods

This retrospective analysis consisted of 8 patients (median age 66), 7 of whom underwent both [68Ga]FAPI and [18F]FDG PET/CT scans with a median time interval of 5 days (range 1–20 days). Quantification of tracer uptake was determined with SUVmax and SUVmean. Furthermore, the tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) was derived by dividing the SUVmax of tumor lesions by the SUVmax of adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and blood pool.

Results

Overall, 31 metastases were detected in five patients including lymph node metastases (n = 23), bone metastases (n = 4), lung metastases (n = 3), and a peritoneal metastasis (n = 1). In one patient, [68Ga]FAPI demonstrated significant uptake in the primary tumor located in the bladder wall. [68Ga]FAPI-PET/CT demonstrated significantly higher uptake compared to [18F]FDG PET/CT with higher mean SUVmax (8.2 vs. 4.6; p = 0.01). Furthermore, [68Ga]FAPI detected additional 30% (n = 9) lesions, missed by [18F]FDG. TBR demonstrated favorable uptake for [68Ga]FAPI in comparison to [18F]FDG. Significant differences were determined with regard to metastasis/blood pool ([68Ga]FAPI 5.3 vs [18F]FDG 1.9; p = 0.001).

Conclusion

[68Ga]FAPI-PET/CT is a promising diagnostic radioligand for patients with bladder cancer. This first described analysis of FAP-ligand in bladder cancer revealed superiority over [18F]FDG in a small patient cohort. Thus, this so far assumed potential has to be confirmed and extended by larger and prospective studies.
Evaluating the Impacts of Patient Engagement on Health Services Research Teams: Lessons from the Veteran Consulting Network
Authors: Merker Vanessa L. , Hyde Justeen K. , Herbst Abigail , Solch Amanda K. , Mohr David C. , Gaj Lauren , Dvorin Kelly , Dryden Eileen M.
Published: March 2022

Background

Despite increasing commitment to patient engagement in research, evaluation of the impact of these efforts on research processes, products, and teams is limited.

Objective

To explore the impacts of engaging patients as consultants to research studies by examining the experiences, impacts, and lessons learned from a program facilitating patient engagement at a Veterans Health Administration research center.

Design

We developed a logic model to articulate the activities being implemented to support patient engagement and their anticipated outcomes. Then, we conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with participants in the local Veteran Consulting Network to qualitatively explore these outcomes.

Participants

Twelve researchers and eleven Veteran patients with experience working on at least one grant or funded study.

Approach

Interview transcripts were inductively coded using a consensus-based approach. Findings were synthesized using framework analysis and mapped back onto our logic model of expected patient engagement impacts.

Key Results

Patient engagement improved the perceived quality and relevance of research studies as patient consultants challenged researchers’ assumptions about patient populations and clinical contexts and gave feedback that helped improve the feasibility of proposed grants, readability of study materials, comprehensiveness of study assessments, and cultural sensitivity and relevance of interventions. Patient engagement also had personal benefits to researchers and patients. Researchers reported improved communication skills and higher job satisfaction. Patients reported a sense of purpose and satisfaction from their work with greater awareness of and appreciation for research.

Conclusions

Engaging patients in research can have multiple benefits to the people and work involved. Our evaluation process can serve as a template for other organizations to plan for and assess the impact of their own patient engagement programs. Creating logic models and updating them based on feedback from program users make engagement goals explicit, help verify expected mechanisms to achieve impact, and facilitate organizational learning.
Engaging the Wisdom of Older Veterans to Enhance VA Healthcare, Research, and Services
Authors: Nearing Kathryn A. , Adams Hope M. , Alsphaugh James , Douglas Serena E. , Feller Thomas R. , Fleak Robert , Moore Vernon , Martin-Sanders Susan , Schultz Thomas M. , Stratton Karleen , Sullivan J. Pat , Van Sickle Lance , Yates J. David , Yates Terry A. , Matlock Daniel D.
Published: March 2022

Background

Stakeholder engagement helps ensure that research is relevant, clinical innovations are responsive, and healthcare services are patient-centered.

Objective

Establish and sustain a Veteran engagement board involving older Veterans and caregivers to provide input on aging-related research and clinical demonstration projects.

Design and Participants

The Older Veteran Engagement Team (OVET)—a group of eight Veterans and one caregiver who range in age from 62 to 92—was formed in November 2017 and has met monthly since January 2018. The OVET provides feedback on topics that reflect the foci of the VA Eastern Colorado Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) (e.g., physical functioning, hearing health, and emotional wellness/mental health). Ongoing evaluation documents the return on investment of Veteran engagement.

Main Measures

The OVET member and provider/investigator meeting evaluations with longitudinal follow-up at 6 and 12 months.

Results

Return on investment of Veteran engagement is multi-faceted. For OVET, ROI ranges from grant support to improved healthcare quality/efficiency to social-emotional benefits. To date, funding awards total over $2.3 M for NIH and VA-funded projects to which OVET provided substantive feedback. Documented impacts on healthcare services include reductions in patient wait times, more appropriate utilization of services and increased patient satisfaction. Social-emotional benefits include generativity, as OVET members contribute to improving clinical and community-based supports for other Veterans. The OVET provides an opportunity for older Veterans to share their lived experience with trainees and early career investigators who are preparing for careers serving Veterans.

Conclusion

The OVET is similar to other established stakeholder engagement groups; team members offer their individual viewpoints at any stage of research, clinical demonstration, or quality improvement projects. The OVET provides a mechanism for the voice of older Veterans and caregivers to shape aspects of individual projects. Importantly, these projects support patient-centered care and promote the characteristics of an age-friendly healthcare system.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Patient, Family Member, and Stakeholder Research Engagement: Insights from the PREPARE NOW Study
Authors: Browne Teri , Jones Shamika , Cabacungan Ashley N. , Lang-Lindsey Katina , Schmidt Lana , Jackson George , Schatell Dori , Damron Kelli Collins , Ephraim Patti L. , Hill-Briggs Felicia , Bolden Shakur , Swoboda Amy , Ruff Suzanne , Danielson Patty , Littlewood Diane , Singer Dale , Stewart Stephanie , Vinson Brandy , Clynes Diana , Green Jamie A. , Strigo Tara S. , Boulware L. Ebony
Published: March 2022

Background

Little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on patient, family member, and stakeholder patient-centered outcomes research engagement.

Objective

To answer the research questions: (1) What is the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of patients with kidney disease and their families? (2) What is the impact of COVID-19 on research engagement for patient and family member research team members who are themselves at very high risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes? and (3) How can we help patients, family members, and stakeholder team members engage in research during COVID-19?

Design

We conducted virtual semi-structured interviews with patient and family member co-investigators and kidney disease stakeholders from the PREPARE NOW study during November 2020. The interview guide included questions about participants’ experiences with the impact of COVID-19 on research engagement.

Participants

Seven patient and family member co-investigators and eight kidney disease stakeholders involved in a kidney disease patient-centered outcomes research project participated in the interviews, data analysis, and writing this manuscript.

Approach

We used a content analysis approach and identified the main themes using an inductive process.

Key Results

Respondents reported three main ways that COVID-19 has impacted their lives: emotional impact, changing behaviors, and changes in health care delivery. The majority of respondents reported no negative impact of COVID-19 on their ability to engage in this research project. Suggestions for patient-centered outcomes research during COVID-19 and other emergencies include virtual research activities; active engagement; and promoting trust, honesty, transparency, and authenticity.

Conclusions

COVID-19 has had a significant negative impact on patient, family member, and stakeholder research team members; however, this has not resulted in less research engagement.

Trial Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02722382
Engaging Stakeholders in Identifying Access Research Priorities for the Department of Veterans Affairs
Authors: McNeal Demetria M. , Fehling Kelty , Ho P. Michael , Kaboli Peter , Shimada Stephanie , Saini Sameer D. , Youles Bradley , Albright Karen
Published: March 2022

Background

The Veterans Access Research Consortium (VARC), a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Consortium of Research focused on access to healthcare, has been funded by VA’s Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D) to develop a research roadmap for healthcare access. The goal of the roadmap is to identify operationally aligned research questions that are most likely to lead to meaningful improvements in Veterans’ healthcare access.

Objectives

To describe the process of soliciting diverse stakeholder perspectives about key priorities on which VA’s HSR&D access agenda should focus and identify the results of that process.

Methods

We used a modified Delphi approach to engage researchers and VA operational partners in a process to develop recommendations regarding the access-related research questions VA should prioritize. We then collaborated with three Veteran Engagement Groups (VEGs) across the country to solicit Veterans’ reactions to the Delphi results and their perspectives about access-related issues affecting access to VA health care.

Results

The Delphi panel consisted of 22 research and operational experts, both internal and external to VA. The Delphi process resulted in five research questions identified by the panelists as highest priority for VA to pursue, each representing one of the following domains: (1) measurement of access, (2) barriers to access, (3) equity and subpopulations, (4) effective interventions to improve access, and (5) consequences of poor/better access. Veterans’ perspectives focused primarily on the barriers to access domain. Veterans indicated several barriers that might be addressed through research or operational initiatives, including poor communication about services, weak connections to and partnerships with local community care facilities, and poor provision of telehealth resources and education.

Conclusions

Engaging multiple methods to solicit stakeholder perspectives enables more nuanced understanding of access-related priorities for VA. Future research should consider utilizing such an approach to identify additional research and/or operational priorities.
Health Experiences Research as a Resource and Mechanism for Veteran Engagement in VA Healthcare Research and Care Delivery
Authors: Nugent Shannon M. , Cottrell Erika , Knight Sara J. , Helfand Mark
Published: March 2022

Engaging patients in the research process helps to ensure researchers ask meaningful questions and generate useful evidence to inform healthcare decisions. In 2015, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) service convened a Veteran engagement workgroup, comprised of researchers, clinicians, and Veterans, to identify ways to integrate Veteran engagement into HSR&D. A subgroup was designated to explore the utility of health experiences research (research focused on enhancing understanding of people’s experiences with healthcare and illnesses) as a mechanism to complement and broaden traditional engagement mechanisms. The subgroup recommended the VA adopt the Database of Individual Patient Experiences (DIPEx) methodology for conducting and disseminating health experiences research (HER). In this paper, we describe (1) the key components of the DIPEx approach, (2) how these components complement and broaden current methods of Veteran engagement, (3) an update on VA activities using the DIPEx approach, and (4) a roadmap for future VA HER activities.
Veteran Engagement in Health Services Research: a Conceptual Model
Authors: Knight Sara J. , Haibach Jeffrey P. , Hamilton Alison B. , Whittle Jeff , Ono Sarah S. , Butler Jorie , Flower Mark , Ray Carolyn D. , Pugh Mary Jo , Zickmund Susan L.
Published: March 2022

With 20 million living veterans and millions more immediate family members, and approximately 9 million veterans enrolled in the nationally networked VA healthcare system, representing the interests and needs of veterans in this complex community is a substantial endeavor. Based on the importance of engaging Veterans in research, the VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Service convened a Working Group of VA researchers and Veterans to conduct a review of patient engagement models and develop recommendations for an approach to engage Veterans in health research that would incorporate their unique lived experiences and interests, and their perspectives on research priorities. The Working Group considered the specific context for Veteran engagement in research that includes other VA stakeholders from the operational and clinical leadership of the VA Health Administration (VHA). The resulting model identifies the range of potential stakeholders and three domains of relevant constructs—processes expected to facilitate Veteran engagement in research with other stakeholders, individual stakeholder and external factors, and outcomes. The expectation is that Veteran engagement will benefit research to policy and practice translation, including increasing the transparency of research and producing knowledge that is readily accepted and implemented in healthcare.
A Computational Neural Model for Mapping Degenerate Neural Architectures
Authors: Khan Zulqarnain , Wang Yiyu , Sennesh Eli , Dy Jennifer , Ostadabbas Sarah , van de Meent Jan-Willem , Hutchinson J. Benjamin , Satpute Ajay B.
Published: March 2022

Degeneracy in biological systems refers to a many-to-one mapping between physical structures and their functional (including psychological) outcomes. Despite the ubiquity of the phenomenon, traditional analytical tools for modeling degeneracy in neuroscience are extremely limited. In this study, we generated synthetic datasets to describe three situations of degeneracy in fMRI data to demonstrate the limitations of the current univariate approach. We describe a novel computational approach for the analysis referred to as neural topographic factor analysis (NTFA). NTFA is designed to capture variations in neural activity across task conditions and participants. The advantage of this discovery-oriented approach is to reveal whether and how experimental trials and participants cluster into task conditions and participant groups. We applied NTFA on simulated data, revealing the appropriate degeneracy assumption in all three situations and demonstrating NTFA’s utility in uncovering degeneracy. Lastly, we discussed the importance of testing degeneracy in fMRI data and the implications of applying NTFA to do so.
Neurological soft signs and brain morphology in people living with HIV
Authors: Herold Christina J. , Kong Li , Ceballos María Elena , Schröder Johannes , Toro Pablo
Published: March 2022

Neurological soft signs (NSS) are a common feature of severe psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia but are also prevalent in organic brain diseases like HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) or Alzheimer’s disease. While distinct associations between NSS, neurocognition, and cerebral regions were demonstrated in schizophrenia, these associations still have to be elucidated in HIV. Therefore, we investigated 36 persons with HIV of whom 16 were neurocognitively healthy and 20 were diagnosed with HAND. NSS were assessed using the Heidelberg scale. NSS scores were correlated with gray matter (GM) using whole brain voxel-based morphometry. Results showed significantly elevated NSS in the HAND group when compared to the neurocognitively healthy with respect to NSS total score and the subscores “orientation” and “complex motor tasks”. While the two groups showed only minor, non-significant GM differences, higher NSS scores (subscales “motor coordination”, “orientation”) were significantly correlated with GM reduction in the right insula and cerebellum (FWE-corrected). Our results corroborate elevated NSS in HIV+ patients with HAND in contrast to cognitively unimpaired patients. In addition, cerebral correlates of NSS with GM reductions in insula and cerebellum were revealed. Taken together, NSS in this patient group could be considered a marker of cerebral damage and neurocognitive deficits.
Die ordnungsstiftende Funktion pädagogischer Technologien und Kernaktivitäten in der Erwachsenenbildung. Relationierung zweier qualitativer Forschungsperspektiven
Authors: Kipper Jenny , Nittel Dieter
Published: March 2022

Das aus der Sozialen-Welt-Theorie von A. L. Strauss stammende Konzept „pädagogische Technologien und Kernaktivitäten“ wurde bislang vorrangig auf grundlagentheoretische pädagogische Fragestellungen angewendet. Der vorliegende Beitrag überträgt dieses Konzept erstmalig auf die Erwachsenenbildung. Die Autoren unterstreichen in dem Beitrag, dass abduktive und relationale Verfahren geeignet sind, zwischen dem Mikrobereich der symbolisch vermittelten Interaktion in der Erwachsenenbildung und der Ebene des pädagogisch organisierten Systems des lebenslangen Lernens Verbindungen herzustellen.
Hüftfrakturinzidenz und Lockdown: Gibt es Zusammenhänge?
Authors: Malle Oliver , Dimai Hans Peter
Published: March 2022

Zur Eindämmung der COVID-19-Pandemie wurde in Österreich bereits mehrfach ein Lockdown verhängt. Durch die häusliche Isolation und dadurch reduzierte physische Aktivität könnte die Frakturhäufigkeit initial positiv beeinflusst werden, aber mittel- bis langfristig aufgrund eines reduzierten Trainingsstatus und verringerter Koordinationsfähigkeit, welche zu einem erhöhten Sturz- und damit Frakturrisiko führen, steigen. Basierend auf Daten der österreichischen Allgemeinen Unfallversicherungsanstalt (AUVA) zeigte sich die Häufigkeit von Hüftfrakturen im Zeitraum des ersten Lockdowns (16. März bis 31. Mai 2020) unverändert im Vergleich zu den gleichen Zeiträumen der Jahre zuvor, jedoch ergab eine Subanalyse eine reduzierte Frakturrate bei Frauen in der Altersgruppe 50-69 Jahre während des ersten Lockdowns verglichen mit dem gleichen Zeitraum des Jahres 2018.
Non-sampling errors in questionnaire surveys: findings from a National Fertility Survey
Authors: Qi Jianan , Zhao Xueqing , Zhuang Yaer , Li Bohua
Published: March 2022

Non-sampling errors can generally be divided into three types: sampling frame errors, non-response errors and measurement errors. Missing target units in the sampling frame, improper handling of non-responses, and misreporting or underreporting of key variables in the questionnaire can all cause deviations in a survey’s results. The widespread application of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) systems and the inclusion of administrative records from government sources in surveys has strengthened the ability to control non-sampling errors. Taking a national fertility sampling survey as an example, this study summarizes the sources of various non-sampling errors and explains how to harness big data resources such as administrative records to control non-sampling errors throughout the survey. The study analyzes the impact of three types of non-sampling errors on the results of the fertility survey and examines the strategies used to address the problems caused by these non-sampling errors. The findings indicate that non-sampling errors were the main source of total error in the survey, and that the errors found came mainly from sampling frame errors; non-response errors and measurement errors were controlled and had little impact on the survey results.
The Evolution of Business Ethics in China and the United States: Convergence, Divergence, or Crossvergence?
Authors: Lee Jong Min , Paik Yongsun , Vance Charles , Li Donghong , Groves Kevin
Published: March 2022

This study presents a cross-temporal comparison of managerial ethics in China and the US. Although it is well established that cross-cultural differences exist in business ethics and that culture and values in a society may evolve over time, little attention has been paid to the longitudinal changes in such cross-cultural differences that might have occurred over time. Building on three different perspectives on values evolution, namely, convergence, divergence, and crossvergence, we investigate whether and how cross-cultural differences in managerial ethical decision-making and the associated moral philosophy have changed in China and the US over the decade between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s. Our analysis reveals that the difference in Chinese and American managers' ethical decision-making evolved in many different directions over the decade, lending support to the crossvergence perspective. Interestingly, however, we discover that the divergence outlook prevails when it comes to the moral philosophies behind their decision-making. These findings provide critical insights into cross-cultural as well cross-temporal evolution in business ethics in a world of increasing cross-cultural and multicultural interactions.
Disrupted dreams of development: neoliberal efficiency and crisis in Angola
Authors: Schubert Jon
Published: March 2022

Thanks to oil revenues, since the end of the war in 2002, Angola has largely eschewed the usual donor conditionalities in its state-led reconstruction process; the 2014 oil price drop, however, revealed the limits of this economic miracle. Coupled with a long-overdue political transition inside the ruling party, this moment of designated crisis has opened up spaces for elites to inject their continued projects of accumulation with the moralizing language of neoliberalism – talk of efficiency, responsibility, and the proverbial tightening of the belt. Based on fieldwork around the recently modernized transport hub of Lobito, the article examines how these tropes have been deployed and adapted, first to position Angola as a ‘business-friendly’ environment, and then to justify largely self-inflicted austerity measures. By examining the everyday working of real existing neoliberalism through the eyes of the port’s users, the article suggests that Angola’s turbulent history provides a fertile ground to advance, in this moment of crisis, agendas of capital capture, cloaking them in the mantle of common-sensical reasonableness and national solidarity.
Benjamin Smith Lyman and Cosmopolitan Vegetarianism
Authors: GUTH CHRISTINE M. E.
Published: March 2022

Studies of the development of vegetarianism in the United States between the Civil War and World War I emphasize the distinctly American character the movement assumed during this period. They take a top-down prescriptive perspective that emphasizes celebrated advocates of a meatless diet such as William Metcalfe, Sylvester Graham, Bronson Alcott, and J. H. Kellogg, ignoring the often humdrum reality of this food choice. This article instead examines what it meant to live a vegetarian life from the bottom up, during an era when American foodways were being transformed by growing global interconnectedness resulting from advances in technology, science, transportation, and communications, bound up with American imperialism. It takes as its starting point the voluminous correspondence and other archival material associated with Benjamin Smith Lyman (1835–1920), a lifelong vegetarian and the author ofVegetarian Diet and Dishes(1917), and an eloquent, idiosyncratic, yet overlooked spokesperson for this practice. Lyman was an eminent, widely traveled mining geologist who over the course of a fifty-year career carried out surveys in the United States, Canada, India, the Philippines, and Japan, where he remained from 1873 to 1881. His activities and writings draw attention to the cosmopolitan dimensions of the cultivation, procurement, preparation, and consumption of foodstuffs suitable to a vegetarian diet, many introduced from Asia to the United States through the efforts of governmental agencies and immigrants.
‘Contact’ Rock Art and the Hybrid Economy Model: Interpreting Introduced Subject Matter from Marra Country, Southwest Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Australia
Authors: Brady Liam M. , Wesley Daryl , Bradley John , Kearney Amanda , Evans Shaun , Barrett David
Published: March 2022

Studies of introduced subject matter in rock-art assemblages typically focus on themes of cross-cultural interaction, change and continuity, power and resistance. However, the economic frameworks guiding or shaping the production of an assemblage have often been overlooked. In this paper we use a case study involving a recently recorded assemblage of introduced subject matter from Marra Country in northern Australia's southwest Gulf of Carpentaria region to explore their production using a hybrid economy framework. This framework attempts to understand the nature of the forces that shape people's engagement with country and subsequently how it is being symbolically marked as adjustments to country occur through colonization. We argue that embedding these motifs into a hybrid economy context anchored in the pastoral industry allows for a more nuanced approach to cross-cultural interaction studies and adds another layer to the story of Aboriginal place-marking in colonial contexts. This paper aims to go beyond simply identifying motifs thought to represent introduced subject matter, and the cross-cultural framework(s) guiding their interpretation, and instead to direct attention to the complex network of relations that potentially underpin the production of such motifs.
More on seed longevity phenotyping
Authors: Hay Fiona R. , Davies Rachael M. , Dickie John B. , Merritt David J. , Wolkis Dustin M.
Published: March 2022

Understanding the relative longevity of different seed lots, perhaps of different species or genotypes, but also following production under different environments or using different cultivation methods, or following different post-harvest treatments, is relevant to anyone concerned with the retention of seed lot viability and vigour during storage. However, different scientists over the years have used different conditions to assess seed lot longevity, as well as different variables as the measure of ‘longevity.’ Here, we give some of the backgrounds to how two standard protocols, with an open and closed system respectively, were derived, and explain why we considerp50, defined as the time during storage when seed lot viability, as measured through a germination test, has declined to 50%, is a suitable longevity trait parameter.
Service support, work engagement and psychological wellbeing: validating an index of resource and infrastructure support for the delivery of CBT
Authors: Evans Ffion , Penny Helen , Waddington Louise
Published: March 2022

Background:

Effective dissemination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been assisted by clearly defined competencies, skills and activities, and validated scales used to measure therapist competence and adherence. However, there is no validated measure of the resource and infrastructure support therapists require to enable them to deliver CBT in line with best practice.

Aims:

This study aimed to validate an index of resource infrastructure and support for the delivery of CBT.

Method:

This study took an existing questionnaire developed by Groom and Delgadillo (2012) and aimed to establish its psychometric properties through expert review and a pilot study.

Results:

This resulted in a shorter questionnaire with good content validity, internal consistency (α = 0.80) and temporal stability (r = 0.74, p < .00). The index consists of six components, and construct validity was demonstrated through positive association with measures of work engagement (r = 0.31, p < .00) and practitioner wellbeing (r = 0.47, p < .00).

Conclusions:

The questionnaire provides a valid and reliable index of service support for delivering CBT, and is positively related to engagement and wellbeing among CBT practitioners.
Effects of Phytoplankton on the Production and Emission of Estuarine Dimethyl Sulfide Under Different Nutrient Inputs From Changjiang River
Authors: Xu Feng , Zhang Hong‐Hai , Jia Teng , Yan Shi‐Bo , Wu Jin‐Wei , Liu Chun‐Ying , Yang Gui‐Peng
Published: March 2022

Continuous input from the Changjiang River significantly reshuffled the ecosystems in the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent East China Sea, impacting the production, distribution, and emission of marine dimethyl sulfide (DMS). However, the effect of phytoplankton biomass and composition on DMS under different nutrient inputs remains poorly understood. Two comprehensive cruises to characterize their effects were conducted in spring and summer 2015. The areas with high concentrations of DMS, dimethylsulfoniopropionate (precursor of DMS), and dimethyl sulfoxide (photo‐oxidation product of DMS) were largely consistent with high phytoplankton abundances along the front of Changjiang Diluted Water in both seasons. Both the higher conversion ratio of dissolved dimethylsulfoniopropionate to DMS and the higher DMS biological production rate in summer contributed to the higher DMS levels. Once produced in seawater, more than half of the DMS was directly consumed by microbes, resulting in a turnover time of 1–2 days, which was shorter than that driven by ventilation. A ship‐based incubation experiment revealed that, with increasing N/Si and N/P ratios from the Changjiang River, phytoplankton biomass increased and the community shifted from diatom‐dominated to dinoflagellate‐dominated, which was conducive to DMS production. It was noteworthy that strong DMS photo‐degradation induced by high nitrate concentrations may have masked DMS production to some extent, while urea only had a promoting effect and therefore led to a maximum increase in DMS yield. Our findings indicated that the increase in phytoplankton biomass and succession of phytoplankton community induced by changes in nutrient inputs will promote DMS emissions from the Changjiang Estuary.
Toward Constraining Sources of Lithogenic Metals in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Hayes Christopher T. , Shiller Alan M. , Milroy Scott P.
Published: March 2022

North African dust is known to be deposited in the Gulf of Mexico, but its deposition rate and associated supply of lithogenic dissolved metals, such as the abiotic metal thorium or the micronutrient metal iron, have not been well‐quantified. 232Th is an isotope with similar sources as iron and its input can be quantified using radiogenic 230Th. By comparing dissolved 232Th fluxes at three sites in the northern Gulf of Mexico with upwind sites in the North Atlantic, we place an upper bound on North African dust contributions to 232Th and Fe in the Gulf of Mexico, which is about 30% of the total input. Precision on this bound is hindered by uncertainty in the relative rates of dust deposition in the North Atlantic and the northern Gulf of Mexico. Based on available radium data, shelf sources, including rivers, submarine groundwater discharge, and benthic sedimentary releases are likely as important if not more important than dust in the budget of lithogenic metals in the Gulf of Mexico. In other words, it is likely there is no one dominant source of Th and Fe in the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, our estimated Fe input in the northern Gulf of Mexico implies an Fe residence time of less than 6 months, similar to that in the North Atlantic despite significantly higher supply rates in the Gulf of Mexico.
The bidirectional relationship of obesity and labor market status - Findings from a German prospective panel study
Authors: Dietrich Hans , Hebebrand Johannes , Reissner Volker
Published: March 2022

Background

Given the inconsistent findings regarding associations between obesity and unemployment, our analysis is one of the few that explores bidirectional changes in obesity and unemployment. In our prospective study, we address factors associated with the

transition into and transition out of obesity, including unemployment, and

transition into and out of unemployment, including obesity.

Subjects and methods

The Labor Market and Social Security-Panel (PASS) consists of two independent, nationally representative German subsamples: residents receiving unemployment benefits (50%) and a representative sample of residents (50%). The sample contains N = 11 361 observations between two measurement points three years apart of N = 8440 individuals participating in two or three waves between 2009 and 2015. We analyzed potential predictors of the transition in and out of obesity and unemployment, including health-related quality of life (HrQoL) and physical activity, using logistic regression models.

Results

Transition into obesity: Unemployed participants had a higher probability of exhibiting a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 35 kg/m2 three years later (transition into obesity classes II and III; Exp(B) = 1.5).

Transition out of obesity: Unemployment did not predict transition out of obesity. Physical activity at least once weekly increased the probability of no longer having a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 three years later (Exp(B) = 2.0).

Transition into unemployment: Obesity was not associated with becoming unemployed three years later. Participants with a lower mental HrQoL were more likely to become unemployed (Exp(B) = 0.98).

Transition out of unemployment: Unemployed individuals reporting a BMI of 30–34.9 kg/m2 were less likely to leave unemployment (Exp(B) = 0.67). A better physical HrQoL was associated with a higher probability of leaving unemployment (Exp(B) = 1.01).

Conclusions

Obesity does not predict future unemployment, but unemployed individuals with obesity have a lower probability of labor market re-entry. Unemployment increases obesity risk. Interactions between obesity and possible confounding variables and their effect on unemployment warrants further examination.
Integrating circulating-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis into clinical practice: opportunities and challenges
Authors: García-Pardo Miguel , Makarem Maisam , Li Janice J. N. , Kelly Deirdre , Leighl Natasha B.
Published: March 2022

In the current era of precision medicine, the identification of genomic alterations has revolutionised the management of patients with solid tumours. Recent advances in the detection and characterisation of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) have enabled the integration of liquid biopsy into clinical practice for molecular profiling. ctDNA has also emerged as a promising biomarker for prognostication, monitoring disease response, detection of minimal residual disease and early diagnosis. In this Review, we discuss current and future clinical applications of ctDNA primarily in non-small cell lung cancer in addition to other solid tumours.
Investigation of urinary volatile organic compounds as novel diagnostic and surveillance biomarkers of bladder cancer
Authors: Lett Lauren , George Michael , Slater Rachael , De Lacy Costello Ben , Ratcliffe Norman , García-Fiñana Marta , Lazarowicz Henry , Probert Chris
Published: March 2022

Background

The diagnosis and surveillance of urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) require cystoscopy. There is a need for biomarkers to reduce the frequency of cystoscopy in surveillance; urinary volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis could fulfil this role. This cross-sectional study compared the VOC profiles of patients with and without UBC, to investigate metabolomic signatures as biomarkers.

Methods

Urine samples were collected from haematuria clinic patients undergoing diagnostic cystoscopy and UBC patients undergoing surveillance. Urinary headspace sampling utilised solid-phase microextraction and VOC analysis applied gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; the output underwent metabolomic analysis.

Results

The median participant age was 70 years, 66.2% were male. Of the haematuria patients, 21 had a new UBC diagnosis, 125 had no cancer. In the surveillance group, 75 had recurrent UBC, 84 were recurrence-free. A distinctive VOC profile was observed in UBC patients compared with controls. Ten VOCs had statistically significant abundances useful to classify patients (false discovery rate range 1.9 × 10−7–2.8 × 10−2). Two prediction models were evaluated using internal validation. An eight-VOC diagnostic biomarker panel achieved AUROC 0.77 (sensitivity 0.71, specificity 0.72). A six-VOC surveillance biomarker panel obtained AUROC 0.80 (sensitivity 0.71 and specificity 0.80).

Conclusions

Urinary VOC analysis could aid the diagnosis and surveillance of UBC.
Differential detection by breast density for digital breast tomosynthesis versus digital mammography population screening: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Tong , Houssami Nehmat , Noguchi Naomi , Zeng Aileen , Marinovich M. Luke
Published: March 2022

Background

We examined whether digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) detects differentially in high- or low-density screens.

Methods

We searched six databases (2009–2020) for studies comparing DBT and digital mammography (DM), and reporting cancer detection rate (CDR) and/or recall rate by breast density. Meta-analysis was performed to pool incremental CDR and recall rate for DBT (versus DM) for high- and low-density (dichotomised based on BI-RADS) and within-study differences in incremental estimates between high- and low-density. Screening settings (European/US) were compared.

Results

Pooled within-study difference in incremental CDR for high- versus low-density was 1.0/1000 screens (95% CI: 0.3, 1.6; p = 0.003). Estimates were not significantly different in US (0.6/1000; 95% CI: 0.0, 1.3; p = 0.05) and European (1.9/1000; 95% CI: 0.3, 3.5; p = 0.02) settings (p for subgroup difference = 0.15). For incremental recall rate, within-study differences between density subgroups differed by setting (p < 0.001). Pooled incremental recall was less in high- versus low-density screens (−0.9%; 95% CI: −1.4%, −0.4%; p < 0.001) in US screening, and greater (0.8%; 95% CI: 0.3%, 1.3%; p = 0.001) in European screening.

Conclusions

DBT has differential incremental cancer detection and recall by breast density. Although incremental CDR is greater in high-density, a substantial proportion of additional cancers is likely to be detected in low-density screens. Our findings may assist screening programmes considering DBT for density-tailored screening.
Protein kinase inhibitor responses in uveal melanoma reflects a diminished dependency on PKC-MAPK signaling
Authors: Park John J. , Stewart Ashleigh , Irvine Mal , Pedersen Bernadette , Ming Zizhen , Carlino Matteo S. , Diefenbach Russell J. , Rizos Helen
Published: March 2022

Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare cancer arising from melanocytes in the uveal tract of the eye. Despite effective primary treatment, there is no approved therapy for metastatic UM and prognosis and survival remain poor. Over 90% of UM are driven by mutations affecting the Gα subunits encoded by the GNAQ and GNA11 genes. These mutations activate downstream and targetable signaling pathways, including the protein kinase C (PKC) cascade. PKC inhibitors have been used in clinical trials for metastatic UM but have shown limited efficacy. In this study, we examined the signaling and functional effects of two PKC inhibitors (AEB071 and IDE196) in a panel of UM cell models. In response to PKC inhibition, all UM cell lines showed potent suppression of PKC activity, but this was not sufficient to predict PKC inhibitor sensitivity and only two UM cell lines showed substantial PKC inhibitor-induced cell death. The differences in UM cell responses to PKC inhibition were not attributable to the degree or timing of PKC suppression or inhibition of the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) or phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) pathways. Instead, UM cell show complex, PKC-independent signaling pathways that contribute to their survival and resistance to targeted therapies.
Regulation of Semaphorin3A in the process of cutaneous wound healing
Authors: Zheng Yang , Jiang Feng , Wang Chao , Dong Mengjie , Wang Chundi , Yan Enshi , Wang Yi , Zhu Zaiou , Xiong Xianbin , Ding Xu , Ye Jinhai , He Yue , Zhang Hongchuang , Zhou Junbo , Zhang Wei , Wu Yunong , Song Xiaomeng
Published: March 2022

Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) has been recognized as a crucial regulator of morphogenesis and homeostasis over a wide range of organ systems. However, its function in cutaneous wound healing is poorly understood. In our study, we demonstrated that Sema3A adenovirus plasmids transfection limited keratinocyte proliferation and decreased migrative capacity as assessed by in vitro wound healing assay. Sema3A transduction inhibited TGF-β1-mediated keratinocyte migration and EMT process. Besides, we applied mice with K14-Cre-mediated deletion of Sema3A and found that Sema3A depletion postponed wound closure with decreased re-epithelialization and matrix growth. Contrary to the results obtained with full-length Sema3A plasmids transfection, increased keratinocyte migration with recombinant Sema3A proteins resulted in quicker closure of the wounding area after a scratch. Further, exogenously applied recombinant Sema3A worked with EGF to maintain the activation of EGFR by interacting with NRP1 and thereby regulated the internalization of the EGFR-NRP1 complex. Taken together, these results indicated a paradoxical role of autonomous and non-autonomous Sema3A expression during wound healing. Combined administration of recombinant EGF and Sema3A proteins could accelerate the process of wound repair, thus providing promising treatment prospects in the future.