bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Labour Formalization and Inequality: The Distributive Impact of Labour Formalization in Latin America since 2000
Authors: Maurizio Roxana , Beccaria Luis , Monsalvo Ana
Published: July 2021

Inequality and informality are two characteristic features of the labour markets of Latin America. However, since 2000 the region has experienced a trend towards labour formalization and a reduction in wage inequality. This article analyses the inflows to formality in four Latin American countries — Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru — and assesses their distributive impacts. This aspect is relevant given that the increase in formal wage earners was particularly marked and it is not possible to determine a priori the sign and intensity of the impact of formalization on wage distribution. Therefore, the link between the two dimensions — inequality and formality — is an empirical question. The results of this analysis show that labour formalization had an important equalizing effect in Argentina, Brazil and Ecuador, but that this was not the case in Peru. Most of the existing literature focuses on the distributive impacts of the returns to education. This study complements the existing literature by showing how the improvement of working conditions contributes to explaining the decreasing trend of inequality observed in Latin America since 2000.
A meta‐analytic approach to the association between inhibitory control and parent‐reported behavioral adjustment in typically‐developing children: Differentiating externalizing and internalizing behavior problems
Authors: Berger Philipp , Buttelmann David
Published: July 2021

Impairments in inhibitory control (IC) are traditionally seen as a vital aspect in the emergence and course of maladaptive behavior across early childhood. However, it is currently unclear whether this view applies to both the externalizing and internalizing domain of parent‐reported behavioral adjustment. Furthermore, past (meta‐analytic) developmental research and theory characterizing this association have largely neglected the vast heterogeneity of IC measures and conceptualizations. The present meta‐analyses examined the association of IC with parent‐reported externalizing (N = 3160, 21 studies) and internalizing (N = 1758, 12 studies) behavior problems, assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), in non‐clinical populations of children aged 2–8 years. They further investigated the moderating effects of a priori IC categorization, according to a recently proposed two‐factor model of IC (“Strength/Endurance” account, Simpson & Carroll, 2019). In line with previous research in the clinical domain, the current results corroborate the notion of a robust, but small association between IC and externalizing behavior problems (r = −0.11) in early childhood. However, although frequently proposed in the literature, no significant linear association could be identified with internalizing behavior problems. Furthermore, in both meta‐analyses, no significant moderating effects of IC categorization could be revealed. These findings enhance our knowledge about the cognitive underpinnings of early‐emerging maladaptive behavior, indicating that different subtypes of IC are statistically related with externalizing, but not internalizing behavior problems. Overall, the small association of IC ability with behavior problems in non‐clinical populations provokes broader questions about the role of IC in behavioral adjustment.
Ratios rather than concentrations of nutritionally important elements may shape honey bee preferences for ‘dirty water’
Authors: Cairns Sarah M. , Wratten Steve D. , Filipiak Michał , Veronesi Emiliano R. , Saville David J. , Shields Morgan W.
Published: July 2021

1. Honey bees require minerals for a complete diet. However, minerals from flowers can be inadequate in concentration and composition. Therefore, honey bees may drink ‘dirty water’ from natural sources such as puddles. Some research has attempted to simulate this through honey bee bioassays, but to date, these have tested minerals individually, not as mixtures as would occur in nature. Here, for the first time, we use honey bees in bioassays in which a range of mineral mixtures are presented together in choice experiments.

2. Six minerals (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, MgCl2, NH4Cl, and KH2PO4) were used in mixtures to simulate different mineral stoichiometries, which may occur in ‘dirty water’, such as puddles, from which honey bees often drink. Based on the honey bee mineral tolerance ranges from the literature, these mixtures were offered in aqueous solutions at low, medium, high, and mixed molar concentrations. Deionised water and sucrose were neutral and positive controls, respectively. Petri dishes were set up in containers in a laboratory. Twenty worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) were placed into each container and observed for drinking behaviour for 1 h.

3. Honey bees preferred the mixed molar treatment comprising a high Na:K ratio, a medium molarity of NaCl and a low molarity of the other minerals. This novel finding suggests that mixed mineral ‘dirty water’ should be investigated on a larger scale with multiple hives in the field and highlights the importance of stoichiometrically balanced honey bee diets.
Parental dietary sucrose affects metabolic and antioxidant enzyme activities in Drosophila
Authors: Strilbytska Olha M. , Strutynska Tetiana R. , Semaniuk Uliana V. , Burdyliuk Nadia I. , Storey Kenneth B. , Lushchak Oleh V.
Published: July 2021

The influence of parental nutrition as a key environmental factor that can influence offspring performance has become a hot topic for modern investigations. In the current study using fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, we found the sucrose concentration of the diet in the parental generation had a significant influence on the metabolism and antioxidant defense of the next generation, even when that subsequent generation had been shifted to a standard diet. We found that low concentrations of dietary carbohydrate in the parental generation led to higher activities of lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and alanine transaminase (ALT) enzymes and increased urea content in their progeny. Moreover, higher activities of the first‐ and second‐line antioxidant defense enzymes were detected in F1 males generated from parents fed a low‐carbohydrate diet. Low sucrose concentration in the parental diet resulted in increased levels of protein thiols but decreased the low‐molecular‐weight thiol group content in F1 males. The influence of different dietary sucrose concentrations also resulted in sex‐dependent differences, where MDH, ALT, glutathione‐S‐transferase, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities and levels of thiol groups were unaffected in F1 females. The results highlight the transgenerational influence that specific dietary macronutrients provided in the parental diet, namely carbohydrates, can have on the next generation, influencing enzyme activities, metabolic pathways and antioxidant defenses in progeny Drosophila.
Immunohistochemical markers for histopathological diagnosis and differentiation of acute cutaneous graft‐versus‐host disease
Authors: Wegner Joanna , Weidenthaler‐Barth Beate , Engelbert Julia , Knothe Max , Braun Claudia , Helbig Doris , Sacher Christopher , Kreft Andreas , Wagner Eva M. , Ziemer Mirjana , Meyer Ralf G. , von Stebut Esther
Published: July 2021

Graft‐versus‐host disease (GvHD) is a major complication following stem‐cell or solid‐organ transplantation. Accurate diagnosis of cutaneous GvHD is challenging, given that drug eruptions and viral rashes may present with similar clinical/histological manifestations. Specific markers are not available. We performed the histological examination of biopsy samples from acute GvHD (aGvHD; n = 54), Stevens‐Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN; n = 27), maculopapular drug eruption (MDE; n = 26) and healthy controls (n = 26). Samples of aGvHD showed a decrease in Langerhans cells (LC, p = 0.0001) and an increase in macrophages (MΦ, p = 0.0001) compared to healthy skin. Compared to SJS/TEN, MDE and healthy skin, aGvHD biopsies contained greater numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The majority of CD4+ T‐helper cells were localized in the upper dermis, whereas cytotoxic CD8+ T cells were found in the epidermis. Increased numbers of CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells in the upper dermis of aGvHD skin (p = 0.007) were not observed in controls or SJS/TEN and MDE. There were no differences in elafin staining between aGvHD and the latter two conditions. Acute GvHD appears to have a distinct inflammatory cell profile (T cells/NK cells) that may aid establishing in a more accurate diagnosis, especially when used to rule out differential diagnoses such as SJS/TEN or MDE.
Divorced and separated parents during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Goldberg Abbie E. , Allen Katherine R. , Smith JuliAnna Z.
Published: July 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic has caused significant stress for individuals, couples, and families. Divorced and separated couples with children face unique stresses amid the pandemic. This mixed‐methods study explored these challenges among 296 divorced and separated parents: namely 204 women formerly partnered with men, 34 men formerly partnered with women, and 58 women formerly partnered with women, who were surveyed during Summer/Fall of 2020. Participants described legal, financial, and coparenting challenges. Those who were not yet divorced described difficulties filing for or finalizing their divorce because of court closures and lack of responsiveness from legal professionals. Those who were already divorced also faced legal challenges, such as being unable to obtain a court date to modify custody arrangements. Financial challenges included renegotiating financial support obligations in the context of job loss. Salient coparenting conflicts, explored through closed‐ and open‐ended questions, included communication issues, different views on virus risk mitigation behaviors, financial issues (especially for those not yet divorced), and transitioning between households and handling remote schooling (especially for those with shared physical custody). Participants elaborated on COVID‐19‐specific challenges, revealing that (a) lack of communication or agreement regarding shared strategies for risk mitigation reflected and exacerbated challenging dynamics between coparents, (b) remote schooling was often the site of disagreement when one parent felt that they were doing more than their fair share of coordination and oversight, and (c) different perspectives on science were expected to lead to future contention when making a joint decision about whether to vaccinate children. Findings have implications for family and legal professionals working with divorced, divorcing, and separated parents.
Microscopic and macroscopic analyses of the interaction mechanism between defect growth and dislocation emission in single‐crystal aluminum
Authors: Li Xiaotao , Peng Shenyou , Zhang Xu , Jiang Xiaoyu , Wang Qingyuan
Published: July 2021

The study on the interaction between defects and dislocation emission is of significance to predict the behaviors of fracture and plastic deformation in crystalline metals; however, the multiscale interaction mechanism has not been well understood. In this work, based on molecular dynamics simulation and distributed dislocation technique, the interaction mechanism between dislocation emission and a crack or a void is studied at the atomic and continuum scales. The results show that dislocation emission can change the mode of crack growth, i.e., from brittle to ductile, and the emitted dislocations cause crack‐tip blunt and decrease stress concentration near the defects. The increment of void growth is completely contributed by dislocation emission, and it can be predicted by the characteristics of dislocation emission. This work reveals the influence mechanism of dislocation emission on failure behaviors and deepens the understanding of the interaction between dislocation emission and defects.
Pedagogical content knowledge: A systematic review of Chinese language pronunciation teaching in the CFL context
Authors: Li Linghong , Valcke Martin , Dessein Bart , Badan Linda , Anderl Christoph
Published: July 2021

The increasing attention on Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) pronunciation instruction gives us an opportunity to look into the current directions of teaching CFL and the specific instructional pronunciation strategies employed by CFL teachers. This paper offers a review of empirical evidence on the use and impact of instructional pronunciation strategies in the CFL field from 1980 to 2019. Our findings reveal that: (1) controlled segmental‐based strategies—such as comparative strategies, listening, and repeating strategies—are used widely and effectively to improve pronunciation of Chinese initials and finals; (2) suprasegmental‐based strategies, especially computer‐assisted strategies, largely improve CFL students' tone accuracy; and (3) the validity of assessments in quantitative studies needs to be further developed by including comparative groups, making tests before and after instructions, and involving discourse assessment contents.
An analysis of high‐resolution modelled wave heights along the South African south coast suggests recent deterioration of sea state
Authors: Tara Lyttle Casey , Rautenbach Christo , Backeberg Björn , Jarre Astrid
Published: July 2021

Understanding climate variability and change together with fishing activities through high‐resolution scientific information and local observations can help implement and sustain improved coastal marine management strategies. Ethnographic data collected between 2010 and 2016 during previous studies with traditional handline fishers on South Africa's south coast suggest that fishers recently observed a deterioration in sea state and a reduction in sea days. Many fishers attributed this deterioration to increased climate variability. The fishers also suggested experiencing increased difficulty when leaving the nearshore through river mouths due to higher waves and stronger winds. The current study investigated these oceanic changes in terms of wave height variability and trends, using high resolution modelled wave data of the south coast for the period 1997–2013. Considering the fishers' perspectives, wave heights near their main launch sites during their main fishing season (austral summer) were focussed on. During the mid‐to‐late 2000s, a positive regime shift of summer nearshore wave heights occurred along the south coast and a statistically significant positive trend in summer nearshore wave heights occurred during the study period. These results support the local fishers’ observations suggesting that the sea state had been deteriorating, in terms of higher summer nearshore waves. While the magnitude of the observed change is not critical to small‐boat fisheries in the area at present, it may contribute to the decrease in available sea days and hence, adds to the stressors in the commercial and small‐scale sectors, further increasing their vulnerability to change.
Ambient climate determines the directional trend of community stability under warming and grazing
Authors: Liu Peipei , Lv Wangwang , Sun Jianping , Luo Caiyun , Zhang Zhenhua , Zhu Xiaoxue , Lin Xingwu , Duan Jichuang , Xu Guangping , Chang Xiaofeng , Hu Yigang , Lin Qiaoyan , Xu Burenbayin , Guo Xiaowei , Jiang Lili , Wang Yanfen , Piao Shilong , Wang Jinzhi , Niu Haishan , Shen Liyong , Zhou Yang , Li Bowen , Zhang Lirong , Hong Huan , Wang Qi , Wang A. , Zhang Suren , Xia Lu , Dorji Tsechoe , Li Yingnian , Cao Guangming , Peñuelas Josep , Zhao Xinquan , Wang Shiping
Published: July 2021

Changes in ecological processes over time in ambient treatments are often larger than the responses to manipulative treatments in climate change experiments. However, the impacts of human‐driven environmental changes on the stability of natural grasslands have been typically assessed by comparing differences between manipulative plots and reference plots. Little is known about whether or how ambient climate regulates the effects of manipulative treatments and their underlying mechanisms. We collected two datasets, one a 36‐year long‐term observational dataset from 1983 to 2018, and the other a 10‐year manipulative asymmetric warming and grazing experiment using infrared heaters with moderate grazing from 2006 to 2015 in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. The 36‐year observational dataset shows that there was a nonlinear response of community stability to ambient temperature with a positive relationship between them due to an increase in ambient temperature in the first 25 years and then a decrease in ambient temperature thereafter. Warming and grazing decreased community stability with experiment duration through an increase in legume cover and a decrease in species asynchrony, which was due to the decreasing background temperature through time during the 10‐year experiment period. Moreover, the temperature sensitivity of community stability was higher under the ambient treatment than under the manipulative treatments. Therefore, our results suggested that ambient climate may control the directional trend of community stability while manipulative treatments may determine the temperature sensitivity of the response of community stability to climate relative to the ambient treatment. Our study emphasizes the importance of the context dependency of the response of community stability to human‐driven environmental changes.
Seasonal drought regulates species distributions and assembly of tree communities across a tropical wet forest region
Authors: Krishnadas Meghna , Sankaran Mahesh , Page Navendu , Joshi Jahnavi , Machado Siddarth , Nataraj Nandita , Chengappa Sannuvanda K. , Kumar Vijay , Kumar Ajith , Krishnamani Ramanathan
Published: July 2021

Aim

How seasonal drought influences tree species distributions might shape future vegetation composition with impending changes to rainfall patterns. Theory suggests that across a seasonal drought gradient, dry‐tolerant species might have wider distributions than species sensitive to seasonal drought, which will be restricted to less seasonal conditions. As wet‐associated species drop out with increasing seasonality, the community will contain mainly dry‐tolerant species.

Time period

Present.

Location

Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot in peninsular India.

Major taxa studied

Woody angiosperms.

Methods

Across a 1,200 km seasonal drought gradient, we modelled occurrences of 183 species using Gaussian logistic regression in a hierarchical Bayesian framework. We used the first‐order model coefficients to attribute the association of species to seasonality (dry/wet) and second‐order coefficients to assess modal responses. For 92 species, we checked for an interaction between dry/wet association and two traits: wood density and specific leaf area (SLA). Finally, we assessed the consequences of the seasonality associations of species for regional community assembly.

Results

Of 183 species, 38% were significantly wet associated, 27% dry associated and 34% indifferent to seasonality. Nearly 80% of species had estimated modes of occurrence within the seasonality range considered here. Species with lower SLA and lower wood density were more likely to occur in more seasonal sites where dry‐associated species formed the majority of co‐occurring species. The proportion of wet‐associated species increased only after intermediate levels of seasonality. The community proportion of extreme wet‐associated species decreased prominently from less to more seasonal sites.

Main conclusions

Dry‐associated species persisted in less seasonal sites, but not vice versa. A shift toward more seasonal rainfall might favour dry‐associated species and shrink the ranges of wet‐associated species. Future work should assess how the intensity and duration of drought and interactions with other drivers of global change regulate the relative performance of species at more and less seasonal sites.
Depression of caregivers is significantly associated with depression and hospitalization of hemodialysis patients
Authors: Fu Lili , Wu Yanfen , Zhu Aiguo , Wang Zhihong , Qi Hualin
Published: July 2021

Introduction

The current study aims to elucidate the relationships of depression of caregivers with depression of hemodialysis patients and determine predictors of hospitalization of hemodialysis patients.

Methods

The single‐center, cross‐sectional study consisted of 200 pairs of eligible hemodialysis patients and caregivers from January 2019 to January 2020. Depression was evaluated using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire.

Findings

There were 89 hemodialysis patients with depression (44.5%) and 74 caregivers with depression (37.0%). In multi‐variable logistic regression analysis, the hemodialysis patients with depressed caregivers were at increased risk of depression after adjusting for potential confounders (OR = 2.36, p = 0.04). Depression of hemodialysis patients (β = 0.51, p = 0.00) and depression of caregivers (β = 0.36, p = 0.04) were predictors of hospitalization of hemodialysis patients.

Discussion

Depression was prevalent among hemodialysis patients and their caregivers. Depression of caregivers was a risk factor for depression and hospitalization of hemodialysis patients. Implementation of appropriate screening programs and specific interventions for depression of hemodialysis patients and their caregivers is required.
Spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma in a patient with end‐stage renal disease
Authors: Huang Chien‐Tai , Lin Chien‐Hao , Wang Hsiu‐Po , Lien Wan‐Ching
Published: July 2021

Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) is extremely rare in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). We report a case of a 71‐year‐old man with ESRD presented with progressive left limb weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed spinal cervical SEH involving C3‐5 level. The patient received emergent decompression laminectomy with the evacuation of the epidural hematoma.
Evidence‐based clinical practice guidelines for liver cirrhosis 2020
Authors: Yoshiji Hitoshi , Nagoshi Sumiko , Akahane Takemi , Asaoka Yoshinari , Ueno Yoshiyuki , Ogawa Koji , Kawaguchi Takumi , Kurosaki Masayuki , Sakaida Isao , Shimizu Masahito , Taniai Makiko , Terai Shuji , Nishikawa Hiroki , Hiasa Yoichi , Hidaka Hisashi , Miwa Hiroto , Chayama Kazuaki , Enomoto Nobuyuki , Shimosegawa Tooru , Takehara Tetsuo , Koike Kazuhiko
Published: July 2021

The first edition of the clinical practice guidelines for liver cirrhosis was published in 2010, and the second edition was published in 2015 by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (JSGE). The revised third edition was recently published in 2020. This version has become a joint guideline by the JSGE and the Japanese Society of Hepatology (JSH). In addition to the clinical questions (CQs), background questions (BQs) are new items for basic clinical knowledge, and future research questions (FRQs) are newly added clinically important items. Concerning the clinical treatment of liver cirrhosis, new findings have been reported over the past 5 years since the second edition. In this revision, we decided to match the international standards as much as possible by referring to the latest international guidelines. Newly developed agents for various complications have also made great progress. In comparison with the latest global guidelines, such as the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), we are introducing data based on the evidence for clinical practice in Japan. The flowchart for nutrition therapy was reviewed to be useful for daily medical care by referring to overseas guidelines. We also explain several clinically important items that have recently received focus and were not mentioned in the last editions. This digest version describes the issues related to the management of liver cirrhosis and several complications in clinical practice. The content begins with a diagnostic algorithm, the revised flowchart for nutritional therapy, and refracted ascites, which are of great importance to patients with cirrhosis. In addition to the updated antiviral therapy for hepatitis B and C liver cirrhosis, the latest treatments for non‐viral cirrhosis, such as alcoholic steatohepatitis/non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH/NASH) and autoimmune‐related cirrhosis, are also described. It also covers the latest evidence regarding the diagnosis and treatment of liver cirrhosis complications, namely gastrointestinal bleeding, ascites, hepatorenal syndrome and acute kidney injury, hepatic encephalopathy, portal thrombus, sarcopenia, muscle cramp, thrombocytopenia, pruritus, hepatopulmonary syndrome, portopulmonary hypertension, and vitamin D deficiency, including BQ, CQ and FRQ. Finally, this guideline covers prognosis prediction and liver transplantation, especially focusing on several new findings since the last version. Since this revision is a joint guideline by both societies, the same content is published simultaneously in the official English journal of JSGE and JSH.
‘They're getting a taste of our world’: A qualitative study of people with multiple sclerosis' experiences of accessing health care during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Australian Capital Territory
Authors: Parkinson Anne , Drew Janet , Hall Dykgraaf Sally , Fanning Vanessa , Chisholm Katrina , Elisha Mark , Lueck Christian , Phillips Christine , Desborough Jane
Published: July 2021

Background

People with multiple sclerosis (MS), who are often immunocompromised, require complex care and engage with a variety of health‐care providers to manage their health.

Objective

To elucidate people with MS' experiences of accessing health care during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia.

Design

A qualitative study involving semi‐structured interviews and thematic analysis.

Settings and participants

Eight adults with a clinical diagnosis of MS participated in telephone or video call interviews between June and July 2020.

Results

Participants were aware that having MS made them more vulnerable to contracting COVID‐19. In some cases, usual care was postponed or not sought. Some circumstances warranted the risk of a face‐to‐face consultation. Benefits of telehealth consultations included improved access, convenience and being contact‐free. In comparison with video consultations, those via telephone were considered less personal and limited capacity to read body language, and for physical examination. Most participants hoped to incorporate telehealth into their future health‐care routines.

Discussion and conclusion

Personal risk assessment and trust in health‐care professionals are determinants of the mode through which people with MS accessed health care during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Telehealth has been a valuable tool to mitigate COVID‐19 transmission through enabling contact‐free consultations. People with MS may find specific value in video consultations, which enable visualization of physical function. There is a need for training and support for all clinicians to conduct remote consultations.

Patient or public contribution

This study was conducted by a team comprised of four people with MS, a neurologist and four health services researchers.
Toothbrushing and related factors among high school students in the Southeast of Iran: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Shirzaee Narges , Saied‐Moallemi Zahra , Mohammadi Mahdi , Okati‐Aliabad Hassan
Published: July 2021

Introduction

Dental caries is one of the most common problems in student, and tooth brushing at least twice a day is one of the preventive measures of dental caries. This study aimed to determine the frequency of daily brushing and its related factors among high school students in the southeast of Iran based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA).

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, 2045 high school students of 13–15 years from urban areas of Zahedan in the southeast of Iran with multistage random sampling were selected. A self‐administered questionnaire was used to assess demographic background, psychosocial constructs of the HAPA and daily brushing frequency. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of daily brushing.

Results

Only 18% of participants reported tooth brushing at least twice a day, which is the desired brushing behaviour. Multivariate regression showed that increased odds of daily brushing associated with gender (OR = 2.38, 95% CI 1.84–3.08), mother education (OR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.62–3.18), father job (OR = 2.24, 95% CI 1.20–4.19), task self‐efficacy (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.08–1.42), action planning (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.19) and maintenance self‐efficacy (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.13– 1.27).

Conclusion

The brushing behaviour of students needs to be taken seriously in Zahedan. Motivational and volitional constructs of the HAPA include task self‐efficacy, action planning, and maintenance self‐efficacy could be considered in intervention programmes targeting increase adolescent brushing.
No evidence for incipient speciation by selfing in North American Arabidopsis lyrata
Authors: Gorman Courtney E. , Li Yan , Dorken Marcel E. , Stift Marc
Published: July 2021

Self‐fertilization inherently restricts gene flow by reducing the fraction of offspring that can be produced by inter‐population matings. Therefore, mating system transitions from outcrossing to selfing could result in reproductive isolation between selfing and outcrossing lineages and provide a starting point for speciation. In newly diverged lineages, for example after a transition to selfing, further reproductive isolation can be caused by a variety of prezygotic and post‐zygotic mechanisms that operate before, during and after pollination. In animals, prezygotic barriers tend to evolve faster than post‐zygotic ones. This is not necessarily the case for plants, for which the relative importance of post‐mating, post‐fertilization and early‐acting post‐zygotic barriers has been investigated far less. To test whether post‐pollination isolation exists between populations of North American Arabidopsis lyrata that differ in breeding (self‐incompatible versus self‐compatible) and mating system (outcrossing versus selfing), we compared patterns of seed set after crosses made within populations, between populations of the same mating system and between populations with different mating systems. We found no evidence for post‐pollination isolation between plants from selfing populations (self‐compatible, low outcrossing rates) and outcrossing populations (self‐incompatible, high outcrossing rates) via either prezygotic or early‐acting post‐zygotic mechanisms. Together with the results of other studies indicating the absence of reproductive barriers acting before and during pollination, we conclude that the transition to selfing in this study system has not led to the formation of reproductive barriers between selfing and outcrossing populations of North American A. lyrata.
Community flood vulnerability and risk assessment: An empirical predictive modeling approach
Authors: Wang Yi (Victor) , Sebastian Antonia
Published: July 2021

Effective assessment of flood vulnerability and risk is essential for communities to manage flood hazards. This paper presents an empirical modeling methodology to predict flood vulnerability and risk, considering factors of hazard distribution, property exposure, built environment, and socio‐demographic and economic characteristics of a community. Vulnerability is empirically modeled as the expected fraction of property loss that is uninsured within a community (i.e., census tract) given water depth. Risk is derived as the expected annual uninsured property loss and loss ratio. The proposed framework is applied to the state of North Carolina in the United States. For model calibration, modeled flood loss data from Hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018 and insurance claims data from the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration's National Flood Insurance Program are used. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Flood Hazard Layer is adopted, along with empirical probability distribution of water depth given flood event, to characterize hazard distribution. Results demonstrate how the presented methodology can be used to predict annual loss in terms of currency and to highlight hotspots of flood vulnerability and risk. Future work is needed to reduce uncertainty associated with limited hazard information available to the public.
Ethnic and diverse fathering: Moving research forward
Authors: Chuang Susan S. , Fagan Jay
Published: July 2021

Fathering in the 21st century has gained significant prominence among scholars who have acknowledged the relevance of fathers in families. However, our understanding of diverse fathering in various contexts such as immigrant and ethnic minority contexts, “nontraditional” fathers (e.g., foster fathers), has significantly lagged . Thus, this collection of articles, Contextualizing Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives on Ethnic Minority and Diverse Fathers, includes five papers that challenge contemporary theories and methodologies to bring greater insights into the complexities of fathering and fatherhood. These articles are intended to encourage researchers to critically reflect on the contexts and diversity of fathers (e.g., immigrant, diverse ethnic backgrounds) and whether theories need to be modified or components of the theory need greater attention to be more reflective of fathers of today.
A review of nudges: Definitions, justifications, effectiveness
Authors: Congiu Luca , Moscati Ivan
Published: July 2021

In 2008, the behavioral economist Richard Thaler and the legal scholar Cass Sunstein published a book in which they advocated a novel approach to public policy based on the notion of a “nudge.” Roughly speaking, a nudge is an intervention in the decisional context that steers people's decisions by acting on their cognitive biases. The notion of a nudge generated an intense debate across different disciplines and proved popular with many policy makers around the world. The present article reviews the debate and research on nudges by focusing on three main dimensions: (1) the exact definition of nudges; (2) the justification of nudge policies, with a focus on “libertarian paternalism”; and (3) the effectiveness of nudges, both over time and in comparison with standard policies.
A cross‐sectional study exploring cognitive impairment in kidney failure
Authors: Nicholas Pauline , Green Theresa , Purtell Louise , Bonner Ann
Published: July 2021

Background

Little is known of the prevalence or associated factors of cognitive impairment in people with kidney failure. Assessment of cognition is necessary to inform comprehension of healthcare information, aptitude for dialysis modality and informed decision making.

Objectives

This study sought to determine the prevalence and factors associated with cognitive impairment in people with kidney failure.

Design

Prospective cross‐sectional.

Participants

Participants (n = 222) with chronic kidney disease grade 5 (CKD G5) including those not treated with dialysis, those undertaking dialysis independently or in a facility (CKD 5D), and those with a kidney transplant (CKD 5T).

Measurements

Data were collected using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (only the depression subscale), and a demographic questionnaire. Type of kidney disease and comorbidities were extracted from participants' hospital records.

Results

Participants were 61 ± 13.63 years old; most were male (61.26%), and diabetes was the primary cause of kidney disease (34%). Prevalence of cognitive impairment was 34% although it was significantly higher for those in CKD G5 compared with other groups. A number of factors were found to be associated with cognitive impairment including, age, diabetes, hypertension, education, haemoglobin, albumin, parathyroid hormone, CKD G5, and length of time on treatment.

Conclusions

Cognitive impairment in kidney failure is common and it has significant implications for informed decision making and treatment choices. Routine assessment of cognitive function is an important part of clinical practice.
Information asymmetry, ex ante moral hazard, and uninsurable risk in liability coverage: Evidence from China's automobile insurance market
Authors: Zheng Hao , Yao Yi , Deng Yinglu , Gao Feng
Published: July 2021

We make use of a unique data set to test for information asymmetry, as well as distinguish ex ante moral hazard from adverse selection in different types of third‐party liability claims in automobile insurance policies: that is, those with bodily injury (BI) versus those with only property damage (PD). We find that the degree of information asymmetry is higher in liability claims with BI than those with only PD. Yet, the ex ante moral hazard only exists in liability claims with PD. We use a theoretical model to propose that the difference we find between the two types of claims in ex ante moral hazard is related to uninsurable risk embedded in BI claims. We confirm this finding in another sensitivity test comparing claims from new cars and nonnew cars. Altogether, these results suggest policy reforms leading to a better pricing mechanism in the automobile insurance industry in China.
Incidence and clinical characteristics of acute rheumatic fever in Turkey: Results of a nationwide multicentre study
Authors: Gürses Dolunay , Koçak Gülendam , Tutar Ercan , Özbarlas Nazan ,   Turkish ARF study group
Published: July 2021

Aim

To evaluate the incidence and clinical features of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) in Turkey, following the revised Jones criteria in 2015.

Methods

This multicentre study was designed by the Acquired Heart Diseases Working Group of the Turkish Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Association in 2016. The data during the first attack of 1103 ARF patients were collected from the paediatric cardiologists between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016.

Results

Turkey National Institute of Statistics records of 2016 were used for the determination of ARF incidence with regard to various cities and regions separately. The estimated incidence rate of ARF was 8.84/100 000 in Turkey. The ARF incidence varied considerably among different regions. The highest incidence was found in the Eastern Anatolia Region as 14.4/100 000, and the lowest incidence was found in the Black Sea Region as 3.3/100 000 (P < 0.05). Clinical carditis was the most common finding. The incidence of clinical carditis, subclinical carditis, polyarthritis, aseptic monoarthritis, polyarthralgia and Sydenham's Chorea was 53.5%, 29.1%, 52.8%, 10.3%, 18.6% and 7.9%, respectively. The incidences of clinical carditis, subclinical carditis, polyarthritis and polyarthralgia were found to be significantly different among different regions (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The findings of this nationwide screening of ARF suggest that Turkey should be included in the moderate‐risk group.
PPAR‐γ‐induced changes in visceral fat and adiponectin levels are associated with improvement of steatohepatitis in patients with NASH
Authors: Gastaldelli Amalia , Sabatini Silvia , Carli Fabrizia , Gaggini Melania , Bril Fernando , Belfort‐DeAguiar Renata , Positano Vincenzo , Barb Diana , Kadiyala Sushma , Harrison Stephen , Cusi Kenneth
Published: July 2021

Background and Aims

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ agonists decrease hepatic/visceral fat (VF) and improve necroinflammation despite subcutaneous (SC) fat weight‐gain. Understanding the impact of changes in VF, VF‐to‐SC fat distribution (VF/SC) and adiponectin (ADPN) levels in relation to histological improvement after weight‐loss or pioglitazone is relevant as novel PPAR‐γ agonists are being developed for treating non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Methods

Fifty‐five patients with NASH received a −500 kcal/d hypocaloric diet and were randomized (double‐blind) to pioglitazone (45 mg/d) or placebo for 6‐months. Before and after treatment patients underwent a liver biopsy and measurement of hepatic/peripheral glucose fluxes, hepatic/adipose tissue‐IR and, in 35 patients, hepatic and VF/SC‐fat was measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy/imaging. Data were examined by multivariable statistical analyses combined with machine‐learning techniques (partial least square discriminant analysis [PLS‐DA]).

Results

Both pioglitazone (despite weight‐gain) and placebo (if weight‐loss) reduced steatosis but only pioglitazone ameliorated necroinflammation. Using machine‐learning PLS‐DA showed that the treatment differences induced by a PPAR‐γ agonist vs placebo on metabolic variables and liver histology could be best explained by the increase in ADPN and a decrease in VF/SC, and to a lesser degree, improvement in oral glucose tolerance test‐glucose concentrations and ALT. Decrease in steatosis and disease activity score (ballooning plus lobular inflammation) kept a close relationship with an increase in ADPN (r = −.71 and r = −.44, P < .007, respectively) and reduction in VF/SC fat (r = .41 and r = .37, P < .03 respectively).

Conclusions

Reduction in VF and improved VF/SC‐distribution, combined with an increase in ADPN, mediate the histological benefits of PPAR‐γ action, highlighting the central role of fat metabolism and its distribution on steatohepatitis disease activity in patients with NASH.
Causes and consequences of telomere lengthening in a wild vertebrate population
Authors: Brown Thomas J. , Spurgin Lewis G. , Dugdale Hannah L. , Komdeur Jan , Burke Terry , Richardson David S.
Published: July 2021

Telomeres have been advocated to be important markers of biological age in evolutionary and ecological studies. Telomeres usually shorten with age and shortening is frequently associated with environmental stressors and increased subsequent mortality. Telomere lengthening – an apparent increase in telomere length between repeated samples from the same individual – also occurs. However, the exact circumstances, and consequences, of telomere lengthening are poorly understood. Using longitudinal data from the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), we tested whether telomere lengthening – which occurs in adults of this species – is associated with specific stressors (reproductive effort, food availability, malarial infection and cooperative breeding) and predicts subsequent survival. In females, telomere shortening was observed under greater stress (i.e., low food availability, malaria infection), while telomere lengthening was observed in females experiencing lower stress (i.e., high food availability, assisted by helpers, without malaria). The telomere dynamics of males were not associated with the key stressors tested. These results indicate that, at least for females, telomere lengthening occurs in circumstances more conducive to self‐maintenance. Importantly, both females and males with lengthened telomeres had improved subsequent survival relative to individuals that displayed unchanged, or shortened, telomeres – indicating that telomere lengthening is associated with individual fitness. These results demonstrate that telomere dynamics are bidirectionally responsive to the level of stress that an individual faces, but may poorly reflect the accumulation of stress over an individuals lifetime.
A Bayesian smoothing for input‐state estimation of structural systems
Authors: Ebrahimzadeh Hassanabadi Mohsen , Heidarpour Amin , Eftekhar Azam Saeed , Arashpour Mehrdad
Published: July 2021

Instantaneous output‐only inversion of a system with delayed appearance of input influences on the measured outputs via filtering methods suffer from intensive amplification of the observation noise in the estimated quantities due to the ill‐conditionedness. To remedy this issue, in this paper, a new unbiased recursive Bayesian smoothing method is developed for input‐state estimation of linear systems without direct feedthrough to reduce estimation uncertainty through an extended observation equation. By minimizing input and state estimation error variance, the optimal smoothing input and state gain matrices are derived. Moreover, a new efficient method is proposed for the recursive calculation of correlation of state estimation error with modeling and observation noise vectors.
The association between Hfq and RNase E in long‐term nitrogen‐starved Escherichia coli
Authors: McQuail Josh , Carpousis Agamemnon J. , Wigneshweraraj Sivaramesh
Published: July 2021

Under conditions of nutrient adversity, bacteria adjust metabolism to minimize cellular energy usage. This is often achieved by controlling the synthesis and degradation of RNA. In Escherichia coli, RNase E is the central enzyme involved in RNA degradation and serves as a scaffold for the assembly of the multiprotein complex known as the RNA degradosome. The activity of RNase E against specific mRNAs can also be regulated by the action of small RNAs (sRNA). In this case, the ubiquitous bacterial chaperone Hfq bound to sRNAs can interact with the RNA degradosome for the sRNA guided degradation of target RNAs. The RNA degradosome and Hfq have never been visualized together in live bacteria. We now show that in long‐term nitrogen starved E. coli, both RNase E and Hfq co‐localize in a single, large focus. This subcellular assembly, which we refer to as the H‐body, forms by a liquid‐liquid phase separation type mechanism and includes components of the RNA degradosome, namely, the helicase RhlB and the exoribonuclease polynucleotide phosphorylase. The results support the existence of a hitherto unreported subcellular compartmentalization of a process(s) associated with RNA management in stressed bacteria.
Carbon supply–consumption balance in plant roots: effects of carbon use efficiency and root anatomical plasticity
Authors: Colombi Tino , Chakrawal Arjun , Herrmann Anke Marianne
Published: July 2021

See also the Commentary on this article by Valverde‐Barrantes, 233: 1539–1541.
Plasticity of rosette size in response to nitrogen availability is controlled by an RCC1‐family protein
Authors: Duarte Gustavo Turqueto , Pandey Prashant K. , Vaid Neha , Alseekh Saleh , Fernie Alisdair R. , Nikoloski Zoran , Laitinen Roosa A. E.
Published: July 2021

Nitrogen (N) is fundamental to plant growth, development and yield. Genes underlying N utilization and assimilation are well‐characterized, but mechanisms underpinning plasticity of different phenotypes in response to N remain elusive. Here, using Arabidopsis thaliana accessions, we dissected the genetic architecture of plasticity in early and late rosette diameter, flowering time and yield, in response to three levels of N in the soil. Furthermore, we found that the plasticity in levels of primary metabolites were related with the plasticities of the studied traits. Genome‐wide association analysis identified three significant associations for phenotypic plasticity, one for early rosette diameter and two for flowering time. We confirmed that the gene At1g19880, hereafter named as PLASTICITY OF ROSETTE TO NITROGEN 1 (PROTON1), encoding for a regulator of chromatin condensation 1 (RCC1) family protein, conferred plasticity of rosette diameter in response to N. Treatment of PROTON1 T‐DNA line with salt implied that the reduced plasticity of early rosette diameter was not a general growth response to stress. We further showed that plasticities of growth and flowering‐related traits differed between environmental cues, indicating decoupled genetic programs regulating these traits. Our findings provide a prospective to identify genes that stabilize performance under fluctuating environments.