bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial/ethnic disparities in dementia incidence, outcomes, and health‐care utilization
Authors: Lusk Jay B. , Ford Cassie , Clark Amy G. , Greiner Melissa A. , Johnson Kim , Goetz Margarethe , Kaufman Brystana G. , Mantri Sneha , Xian Ying , O'Brien Richard , O'Brien Emily C.
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Racial/ethnic disparities exist in many aspects of health care, but data on racial/ethnic disparities for neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as dementia and Parkinson's disease (PD), are limited.

Methods

We used North and South Carolina Medicare claims from 2013 to 2017 to evaluate disparities in incidence of NDDs and in health‐care utilization and outcomes for patients with NDDs.

Results

Disparities in incidence of NDD between Black and White beneficiaries narrowed by 0.37 per 100 person‐years from 2014 to 2017. After thorough covariate adjustment, Black beneficiaries had a 4% higher risk of all‐cause hospitalization, spent 8% more days in skilled nursing facilities and 14% fewer days in hospice facilities, were 38% less likely to receive physical/occupational therapy services, were 8% less likely to receive dementia medications, and were 19% less likely to receive PD medications than White beneficiaries.

Discussion

Effective system‐level approaches to promote health equity in NDD diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes are clearly needed.

Highlights

Racial disparities in neurodegenerative disease incidence narrowed between 2014 and 2017.

Black patients were less likely than White patients to receive hospice services.

Black patients were less likely than White patients to receive physical therapy.

Black patients were less likely than White patients to receive Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease medications.

There is a shortage of neurologists in counties with high dementia incidence.
Cueing end‐effector acceleration of a two‐link robotic arm by dynamic averaged sub‐gradient integral sliding mode control
Authors: Hernandez‐Sanchez Alejandra , Chairez Isaac , Poznyak Alexander , Andrianova Olga , Chertopolokhov Viktor
Published: December 2022

The primary objective of this research is to determine if the dynamic version of an averaged sub‐gradient (ASG) integral siding mode (ISM) controller can effectively handle the end‐effector acceleration tracking problem for a two‐link robotic arm avoiding singularity conditions. The proposed scheme solves a nonlinear extremum seeking problem that minimizes a non‐strictly convex function that depends on the acceleration tracking error defined by the difference between the desired acceleration trajectory and the cueing end‐effector acceleration of a two‐link robotic arm in a 2D‐plane. A second‐order differential equation drives the proposed dynamic ASG with nonlinear coefficients and a discontinuous right‐hand side term, which allows for the achievement of the necessary ISM regime in the presence of considerable errors in the mathematical model description. A special switch between modes allows the controller to track accelerations even in extreme positions (near to the active boundaries of the joint articulations) effectively.
Gradient‐free algorithms for distributed online convex optimization
Authors: Liu Yuhang , Zhao Wenxiao , Dong Daoyi
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we consider the distributed bandit convex optimization of time‐varying objective functions over a network. By introducing perturbations into the objective functions, we design a deterministic difference and a randomized difference to replace the gradient information of the objective functions and propose two classes of gradient‐free distributed algorithms. We prove that both the two classes of algorithms achieve regrets of
for convex objective functions and
for strongly convex objective functions, with respect to the time index
and consensus of the estimates established as well. Simulation examples are given justifying the theoretical results.
The impact of corporate governance attributes on environmental and social performance: The case of European region excluding companies from the Eurozone
Authors: Giannarakis Grigoris , Mallidis Ioannis , Sariannidis Nikolaos , Konteos George
Published: December 2022

This study provides an empirical investigation of the impact of Corporate Governance (CG) attributes on the environmental and social aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The dependent variables considered for the description of the environmental and social aspects of CSR were determined using the Refinitiv approach, and through the lens of agency, stakeholder, and resource dependency theories. The independent variables were selected based on the literature and involve eight CG attributes, namely: CSR committee, CEO duality, board meeting attendance, board meetings frequency, non‐executive board members, board gender diversity, board specific skills, and board experience.

The employed methodology was evaluated through a sample of dependent and independent variable data of 313 companies across the European region excluding companies from the Eurozone for the period of 2006–2020. A suite of machine learning models was employed for capturing the most important determinants of the environmental and social aspects of CSR.

The results reveal that three main corporate governance attributes may have a significant impact on a company's environmental and social performance. These attributes involve more female directors and directors with low board experience in board positions, and finally, the existence of CSR committees. The derived findings provide significant implications for corporate directors, socially responsible investors, policymakers, and regulators that intend to promote CSR initiatives and strategies.
Health‐related quality‐of‐life analyses from a multicenter, randomized, double‐blind phase 2 study of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer treated with lenvatinib 18 or 24 mg/day
Authors: Taylor Matthew H. , Leboulleux Sophie , Panaseykin Yury , Konda Bhavana , de La Fouchardiere Christelle , Hughes Brett G. M. , Gianoukakis Andrew G. , Park Young Joo , Romanov Ilia , Krzyzanowska Monika K. , Garbinsky Diana , Sherif Bintu , Pan Jie Janice , Binder Terri A. , Sauter Nicholas , Xie Ran , Brose Marcia S.
Published: December 2022

Background

In the phase 2 double‐blind Study 211, a starting dose of lenvatinib 18 mg/day was compared with the approved starting dose of 24 mg/day in patients with radioiodine‐refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR‐DTC). Predefined criteria for noninferiority for efficacy in the 18 mg arm were not met; safety was similar in both arms. Impact of lenvatinib treatment on health‐related quality‐of‐life (HRQoL) was a secondary endpoint of Study 211.

Methods

Patients with RR‐DTC were randomly assigned to a blinded starting dose of lenvatinib 18 mg/day or 24 mg/day. HRQoL was assessed at baseline, every 8 weeks until Week 24, then every 16 weeks, and at the off‐treatment visit, using the EQ‐5D‐3L and FACT‐G instruments. Completion and compliance rates, mean change from baseline, and times to first and definitive deterioration were evaluated.

Results

Baseline EQ‐5D and FACT‐G scores, and overall changes from baseline, were comparable between patients in the lenvatinib 18 mg/day (n = 77) and 24 mg/day arms (n = 75). For the 18 mg versus 24 mg arms, least squares mean differences were −0.42 (95% CI −4.88, 4.03) for EQ‐5D‐VAS and 0.47 (95% CI −3.45, 4.39) for FACT‐G total. Time to first deterioration did not significantly favor either arm; EQ‐5D‐VAS HR [18 mg/24 mg] 0.93 (95% CI 0.61–1.40), EQ‐5D‐HUI HR [18 mg/24 mg] 0.68 (95% CI 0.44–1.05), FACT‐G total HR [18 mg/24 mg] 0.73 (95% CI 0.48–1.12). Time to definitive deterioration did not significantly favor either arm, though EQ‐5D‐VAS showed a trend in favor of the 24 mg arm (HR [18 mg/24 mg] 1.72; 95% CI 0.99–3.01); EQ‐5D‐HUI HR [18 mg/24 mg] was 0.96 (95% CI 0.57–1.63), FACT‐G total HR [18 mg/24 mg] was 0.72 (95% CI 0.43–1.21).

Conclusions

In Study 211, HRQoL for patients in the lenvatinib 18 mg/day arm was not statistically different from that of patients in the 24 mg/day arm. These data further support the use of the approved lenvatinib starting dose of 24 mg/day in patients with RR‐DTC.

ClinicalTrials.gov Number

NCT02702388.
Dyadic versus individual delivery of a yoga program for family caregivers of glioma patients undergoing radiotherapy: Results of a 3‐arm randomized controlled trial
Authors: Milbury Kathrin , Whisenant Meagan , Weathers Shiao‐Pei , Malliaha Smitha , Snyder Stella , Jackson Natalie , Li Jing , Li Yisheng , Silva Roseanglea F. , Shih Ya‐Chen Tina , Cohen Lorenzo
Published: December 2022

Background

Despite their significant distress, supportive care interventions for caregivers of glioma patients are generally lacking. And, whether caregivers are more likely to benefit from interventions targeting patient‐caregiver dyads or caregivers individually is unknown. This pilot randomized controlled trial compared the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a dyadic yoga (DY) versus an individual caregiver yoga (CY) intervention as a supportive care strategy for family caregivers.

Methods

Patient‐caregiver dyads were randomized to a DY, CY or usual care (UC) arm. DY and CY interventions were delivered over 15 sessions. Caregivers completed assessments of their depressive symptoms, quality of life (QOL), and caregiving reactions at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks, and a subset completed qualitative interviews at 12 weeks.

Results

With a consent rate of 63%, 67 dyads were randomized. Attendance in the DY was higher than in the CY group (session means, DY = 12.23, CY = 9.00; p = 0.06). Caregivers (79% female; 78% non‐Hispanic White; mean age, 53 years) reported significantly more subjective benefit in the CY arm than in the DY arm (d = 2.1; p < .01), which was consistent with the qualitative assessment. There were medium effect sizes for improved mental QOL (d = 0.46) and financial burden (d = 0.53) in favor of the CY over the UC group. Caregivers in the CY group reported more caregiving esteem (d = 0.56) and less health decline (d = 0.60) than those in the DY group.

Conclusion

Individual rather than dyadic delivery may be a superior supportive care approach for this vulnerable caregiver population. A larger, adequately powered efficacy trial is warranted.
Genotyping Microbial Communities with MIDAS2: From Metagenomic Reads to Allele Tables
Authors: Zhao Chunyu , Goldman Miriam , Smith Byron J. , Pollard Katherine S.
Published: December 2022

The Metagenomic Intra‐Species Diversity Analysis System 2 (MIDAS2) is a scalable pipeline that identifies single nucleotide variants and gene copy number variants in metagenomes using comprehensive reference databases built from public microbial genome collections (metagenotyping). MIDAS2 is the first metagenotyping tool with functionality to control metagenomic read mapping filters and to customize the reference database to the microbial community, features that improve the precision and recall of detected variants. In this article we present four basic protocols for the most common use cases of MIDAS2, along with supporting protocols for installation and use. In addition, we provide in‐depth guidance on adjusting command line parameters, editing the reference database, optimizing hardware utilization, and understanding the metagenotyping results. All the steps of metagenotyping, from raw sequencing reads to population genetic analysis, are demonstrated with example data in two downloadable sequencing libraries of single‐end metagenomic reads representing a mixture of multiple bacterial species. This set of protocols empowers users to accurately genotype hundreds of species in thousands of samples, providing rich genetic data for studying the evolution and strain‐level ecology of microbial communities. © 2022 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Species prescreening

Basic Protocol 2: Download MIDAS reference database

Basic Protocol 3: Population single nucleotide variant calling

Basic Protocol 4: Pan‐genome copy number variant calling

Support Protocol 1: Installing MIDAS2

Support Protocol 2: Command line inputs

Support Protocol 3: Metagenotyping with a custom collection of genomes

Support Protocol 4: Metagenotyping with advanced parameters
Growth of Zn‐Ge‐O Thin‐Film as a Transparent Conductive Oxide Buffer Material for Chalcopyrite Solar Cell
Authors: Egyna Dwinanri , Ito Satoru , Nishimura Takahito , Yamada Akira
Published: December 2022

The importance of positive band offset at the p–n interface of heterojunction thin‐film solar cells has been underlined in the authors' previous work on  theoretical study of the role of n‐type layer in determining open‐circuit voltage – and experimental work by other research groups. An n‐type material with low electron affinity has the potential to fulfill the requirements for producing a high‐performance heterojunction thin‐film solar cell. In this current work, a new alternative transparent conductive oxide material for chalcopyrite heterojunction solar cells is investigated by alloying ZnO and GeO2 to grow a Zn‐Ge‐O thin‐film with low electron affinity. The film is grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition with tetramethoxygermanium as the Ge source. Through film characterization, it is confirmed that higher concentrations of Ge in the film result in lower electron affinities and relatively constant valence band maximums. Different [Ge] / ([Zn] + [Ge]) also affects the film morphology, from polycrystalline at a lower concentration of Ge to aggregation of nanocrystals at a higher concentration of Ge. Electronic characterization and preliminary device application test show promising results for the future of the Zn‐Ge‐O thin‐film as an alternative n‐type layer for chalcopyrite solar cells.
Agronomic Practices to Minimize Lodging While Maximizing Yield and Protein of Spring Wheat in the Eastern Canadian Prairies
Authors: Mangin Amy , Lawley Yvonne
Published: December 2022

New high‐yielding spring wheat cultivars are being grown widely across the Canadian Prairies. As yields rise, grain protein levels can only be maintained by increasing the N availability to crop, often reducing fertilizer use efficiency. An additional concern when increasing the amount of N fertilizer being applied to the crop is the increased risk of lodging, reducing the crop’s yield, quality, and harvestability. This article reports on research evaluating the effect of agronomic management practices on spring wheat lodging risk, grain yield, and protein content in the eastern Canadian Prairies. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Crop Management by reading this article and taking the quiz at https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning‐Center/Courses.
A basic community dynamics experiment: Disentangling deterministic and stochastic processes in structuring ecological communities
Authors: Jewell Mark Davidson , Bell Graham
Published: December 2022

Community dynamics are governed by two opposed processes: species sorting, which produces deterministic dynamics leading to an equilibrium state, and ecological drift, which produces stochastic dynamics. Despite a great deal of theoretical and empirical work aiming to demonstrate the predominance of one or the other of these processes, the importance of drift in structuring communities and maintaining species diversity remains contested. Here, we present the results of a basic community dynamics experiment using floating aquatic plants, designed to measure the relative contributions of species sorting and ecological drift to community change over about a dozen generations. We found that species sorting became overwhelmingly dominant as the experiment progressed, and directed communities toward a stable equilibrium state maintained by negative frequency‐dependent selection. The dynamics of any particular species depended on how far its initial frequency was from its equilibrium frequency, however, and consequently the balance of sorting and drift varied among species.
Microclimate, soil chemistry, and microbiota fail to explain Euphorbia dendroidesJanzen‐Connell pattern in a shrubland
Authors: Idbella Mohamed , Abd‐ElGawad Ahmed M. , Mazzoleni Stefano , Bonanomi Giuliano
Published: December 2022

Negative plant–soil feedback can cause density and distance effects that lead to Janzen–Connell (JC) distribution. The JC hypothesis has been proposed to explain the high species diversity in tropical forests, but it has been rarely tested in species‐rich Mediterranean shrublands. In this study, we assessed whether the JC hypothesis could explain Euphorbia dendroides recruitment pattern under conspecific conditions, that is, mother plant and the canopy of Pistacia lentiscus, Juniperus phoenicea, Myrtus communis, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Olea europaea. We examined whether soil chemistry and/or soil microbiota, characterized by both bacterial and fungal communities, explained the observed JC pattern. We also explored differences in microclimate among shrub species by monitoring air temperature and light availability at different times of the year. Euphorbia recruits were almost absent under the canopy of conspecifics, being more abundant at the edge of the canopy, which fits the JC pattern. Interestingly, we also found a high density of Euphorbia recruitment under heterospecific canopies, that is, O. europaea and J. phoenicea, but a very low density under other heterospecific canopies, for example, R. officinalis and P. lentiscus. Although shrubs have a species‐specific microbiota signature under their canopy, neither the accumulation of species‐specific pathogens nor soil chemical properties explain the observed JC pattern. Despite finding that shrubs buffer high temperatures in summer, the observed microclimatic difference failed to explain the recruitment pattern. We conclude that JC is prevalent in this species‐rich Mediterranean shrubland, but the underlying mechanism remains to be investigated and clarified.
Relation of amino acid composition, hydrophobicity, and molecular weight with antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and antioxidant properties of mixtures of corn gluten and soy protein hydrolysates
Authors: Mirzaee Homaira , Ahmadi Gavlighi Hassan , Nikoo Mehdi , Udenigwe Chibuike C. , Khodaiyan Faramarz
Published: December 2022

New mixed Alcalase‐hydrolysates were developed using corn gluten meal (CP) and soy protein (SP) hydrolysates, namely CPH, SPH, SPH30:CPH70, SPH70:CPH30, and SPH50:CPH50. Amino acid profile, surface hydrophobicity (H0), molecular weight (MW) distribution, antioxidant activity, angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE), α‐amylase, and α‐glucosidase inhibitory activities, and functional characteristics of hydrolysates were determined. Hydrolysis changed the amount of hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acid composition and significantly increased the H0 values of hydrolysates, especially for CPH. The DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA) was higher for CPH, SPH30:CPH70, and SPH50:CPH50 than SPH and SPH70:CPH30. Moreover, SPH, SPH70:CPH30, and SPH50:CPH50 showed lower MW than CPH, and this correlated with the higher hydrophilicity, and ABTS and hydroxyl RSA values obtained for SPH and the mixed hydrolysates with predominantly SPH. SPH70:CPH30 exhibited higher ACE, α‐glucosidase, and α‐amylase inhibitory activities among all samples due to its specific peptides with high capacity to interact with amino acid residues located at the enzyme active site and also low binding energy. At 15% degree of hydrolysis, both SPH and CPH showed enhanced solubility at pH 4.0, 7.0 and 9.0, emulsifying activity, and foaming capacity. Taken together, SPH70:CPH30 displayed strong antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic attributes, emulsifying activity and stability indexes, and foaming capacity and foaming stability, making it a promising multifunctional ingredient for the development of functional food products.
Properties of NbC/а‐C:H films on titanium bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Authors: Gou Yong , Jiang Guang , Geng Jiangtao , Shao Zhigang
Published: December 2022

Surface modification of metallic bipolar plates is a crucial subject for the performance elevation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this work, a series of NbC/а‐C:H films with different Nb/C ratios are prepared by arc ion plating. Film microstructure, composition, mechanical properties, hydrophobility, interfacial contact resistance (ICR), and corrosion resistance in the simulated cathode environment of PEMFCs are systematically studied. The results show that within the experiment conditions, higher NbC content helps to promote the film hardness and adhesion strength as well as the interfacial conductivity. While higher а‐C:H content attributes to a more compact microstructure thus improving the anti‐corrosion performance. The best corrosion resistance and conductivity come with the lowest corrosion current density of 0.09 µA/cm2 and ICR of 0.77 mΩ cm2, respectively. Based on the result of this research, to further improve the comprehensive performance of NbC/а‐C:H film, strategies for increasing the metal carbide content and preventing surface metal oxidation while keeping a dense and fine microstructure need to be considered.
Temporal changes in the microglial proteome of male and female mice after a diffuse brain injury using label‐free quantitative proteomics
Authors: Doust Yasmine V. , Bindoff Aidan , Holloway Olivia G. , Wilson Richard , King Anna E. , Ziebell Jenna M.
Published: December 2022

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) triggers neuroinflammatory cascades mediated by microglia, which promotes tissue repair in the short‐term. These cascades may exacerbate TBI‐induced tissue damage and symptoms in the months to years post‐injury. However, the progression of the microglial function across time post‐injury and whether this differs between biological sexes is not well understood. In this study, we examined the microglial proteome at 3‐, 7‐, or 28‐days after a midline fluid percussion injury (mFPI) in male and female mice using label‐free quantitative proteomics. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD033628. We identified a reduction in microglial proteins involved with clearance of neuronal debris via phagocytosis at 3‐ and 7‐days post‐injury. At 28 days post‐injury, pro‐inflammatory proteins were decreased and anti‐inflammatory proteins were increased in microglia. These results indicate a reduction in microglial clearance of neuronal debris in the days post‐injury with a shift to anti‐inflammatory function by 28 days following TBI. The changes in the microglial proteome that occurred across time post‐injury did not differ between biological sexes. However, we did identify an increase in microglial proteins related to pro‐inflammation and phagocytosis as well as insulin and estrogen signaling in males compared with female mice that occurred with or without a brain injury. Although the microglial response was similar between males and females up to 28 days following TBI, biological sex differences in the microglial proteome, regardless of TBI, has implications for the efficacy of treatment strategies targeting the microglial response post‐injury.
Withdrawn: Investigating the Role of Fuel Injection Pressure and Piston Bowl Geometries to Enhance Performance and Emission Characteristics of Hydrogen‐Enriched Diesel/1‐Pentanol Fuelled in CRDI Diesel Engine
Authors: Seelam Navyasree , Gugulothu S.K , Bhasker Burra , panda Jibitesh Kumar , Reddy Ragireddy Venkat
Published: December 2022

The above article from Heat Transfer, published online on 5 December 2022, on Wiley Online Library (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/htj.22448), has been withdrawn by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor in Chief William M. Worek and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

The withdrawal has been agreed due to a technical error at the publisher that caused the article to be mistakenly published online although its publication had been cancelled at the request of the authors.
Aggregation propensities of proteins with varying degrees of disorder
Authors: Dey Priya , Biswas Parbati
Published: December 2022

The hydration thermodynamics of a globular protein (AcP), three intrinsically disordered protein regions (1CD3, 1MVF, 1F0R) and a fully disordered protein (α‐synuclein) is studied by an approach that combines an all‐atom explicit water molecular dynamics simulations and three‐dimensional reference interaction site model (3D‐RISM) theory. The variation in hydration free energy with percentage disorder of the selected proteins is investigated through its nonelectrostatic and electrostatic components. A decrease in hydration free energy is observed with an increase in percentage disorder, indicating favorable interactions of the disordered proteins with the solvent. This confirms the role of percentage disorder in determining the aggregation propensity of proteins which is measured in terms of the hydration free energy in addition to their respective mean net charge and mean hydrophobicity. The hydration free energy is decoupled into energetic and entropic terms. A residue‐wise decomposition analysis of the hydration free energy for the selected proteins is evaluated. The decomposition shows that the disordered regions contribute more than the ordered ones for the intrinsically disordered protein regions. The dominant role of electrostatic interactions is confirmed from the residue‐wise decomposition of the hydration free energy. The results depict that the negatively charged residues contribute more to the total hydration free energy for the proteins with negative mean net charge, while the positively charged residues contribute more for proteins with positive mean net charge.
Projective planes of order 12 do not have a collineation group of order 4
Authors: Akiyama Kenzi , Suetake Chihiro , Tanaka Masaki
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we prove that there are no projective planes of order 12 admitting a collineation group of order 4. This yields that the order of any collineation group of a projective plane of order 12 is 1, 2, or 3.
Implementing school‐wide sexual assault prevention in middle schools: A qualitative analysis of school stakeholder perspectives
Authors: Orchowski Lindsay M. , Oesterle Daniel W. , Zong Zoe Y. , Bogen Katherine W. , Elwy A. Rani , Berkowitz Alan D. , Pearlman Deborah N.
Published: December 2022

Sexual assault and harassment are significant problems that begin early in the lifespan. The current study sought to understand the contextual factors that influence the implementation of school‐wide sexual assault prevention programs in middle schools that focus on fostering community norms change. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) is a menu of constructs arranged across 5 domains that assists stakeholders in assessing and identifying site‐specific determinants of successful intervention implementation. In the present study, researchers conducted a series of 10 interviews with middle school stakeholders (i.e., principals, guidance counselors, teachers) to document characteristics inside and outside of the school environment (i.e., cultural norms, relative priority, prior interventions, implementation climate) relevant to the implementation of prevention programming, using the CFIR as a guiding framework for analysis. Whereas schools recognized the importance of implementing violence prevention programming, stakeholders reported several other competing demands (i.e., time, resources) that make it difficult to implement rigorous programming without support from an outside agency/team. Community agencies and research teams hoping to implement violence prevention in middle schools can benefit from using stakeholder interviews grounded in the CFIR model to gain a better awareness of the school‐ and community‐specific factors that are likely to influence successful implementation of violence prevention programs in middle schools.
Diagnostic reproducibility of the 2018 Classification of Gingival Recession Defects and Gingival Phenotype: A multicenter inter‐ and intra‐examiner agreement study
Authors: Pini Prato Giovanpaolo , Di Gianfilippo Riccardo , Pannuti Claudio M. , Allen Edward P. , Aroca Sofia , Avila‐Ortiz Gustavo , Bouchard Philippe , Cairo Francesco , Chackartchi Tali , Cortellini Pierpaolo , Franceschi Debora , Mahajan Ajay , Mancini Evelyn A. , McGuire Michael K. , Natsvlishvili Tea , Santamaria Mauro P. , Scheyer E. Todd , Wang Hom‐Lay , Kornman Kenneth , Chambrone Leandro
Published: December 2022

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the inter‐ and intra‐examiner agreement among international experts on the diagnosis of gingival recession defects using the 2018 Classification of Gingival Recession Defects and Gingival Phenotype as proposed in the 2017 World Workshop.

Methods

Standardized intraoral photographs from 28 gingival recession defects were evaluated twice by 16 expert periodontists. Recession type (RT), recession depth (RD), keratinized tissue width (KTW), gingival thickness (GT), detectability of the cemento‐enamel junction (CEJ), and presence of root steps (RS) were recorded and used for the analysis. Intra‐ and inter‐examiner agreements were calculated for individual variables and for the overall classification. Intraclass correlation coefficient with 95% CI was used for RD and KTW; Kappa with 95% CI was used for GT, CEJ, and RS; quadratic weighted Kappa with 95% CI was used for RT.

Results

Overall intra‐ and inter‐examiner agreements were highest for KTW (0.95 and 0.90), lowest for GT (0.75 and 0.41), with the other variables in between (RD: 0.93 and 0.68, RS: 0.87 and 0.65, RT: 0.79 and 0.64, CEJ: 0.75 and 0.57). Overall intra‐ and inter‐examiner agreements for the matrix were 62% and 28%, respectively. Significant effects existed between one variable's measurement and other variables’ agreements.

Conclusions

The 2018 Classification of Gingival Recession Defects and Gingival Phenotype is clinically reproducible within the examiners, and when the variables forming the matrix are analyzed individually. The between‐examiner agreement for the complete matrix showed lower reproducibility. The agreement was highest for KTW and RD, and least for GT.
KIF4A promotes genomic stability and progression of endometrial cancer through regulation of TPX2 protein degradation
Authors: Zhang Jun , An Lanfen , Zhao Rong , Shi Rui , Zhou Xing , Wei Sitian , Zhang Qi , Zhang Tangansu , Feng Dilu , Yu Zhicheng , Wang Hongbo
Published: December 2022

Kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A) belongs to the kinesin superfamily proteins, which are closely associated with mitophagy. Nonetheless, the role of KIF4A in endometrial cancer (EC) remains poorly characterized. The present study showed that KIF4A not only was upregulated but also predicted poor prognosis in patients with EC. KIF4A knockdown in EC cells resulted in attenuated proliferative capacity in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptome sequencing and gene function analysis revealed that KIF4A contributed to the maintenance of EC cells' genomic stability and that KIF4A knockdown induced the DNA damage response, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Mechanistically, KIF4A interacted with TPX2 (a protein involved in DNA damage repair to cope with the replication pressure) to enhance its stability via inhibition of TPX2 ubiquitination and eventually ensured the genomic stability of EC cells during mitosis. Taken together, our results indicated that KIF4A functions as a tumor oncogene that facilitates EC progression via the maintenance of genomic stability. Therefore, targeting the KIF4A/TPX2 axis may provide new concepts and strategies for the treatment of patients with EC.
Using nonradial metafrontier data envelopment analysis to evaluate the metatechnology and metafactor ratios for the Taiwanese hotel industry
Authors: Huang Chin‐wei , Chen Hsiao‐Yin
Published: December 2022

The main purpose of this study was to develop nonradial metafrontier data envelopment analysis (DEA). Previous studies commonly used assumptions involving the redial measure and convexity of metafrontier to evaluate efficiency and the technology gap. The two assumptions have limitations, and a model that modifies the two assumptions simultaneously has not been proposed. In this study, a nonradial metafrontier DEA is proposed that incorporates the assumptions of nonconvexity as well as the nonradial measure. The study also developed the MFR index for measuring the technology gap based on individual factors.
Vertical integration to avoid monopsonistic exploitation
Authors: Alderman Brianna L. , Blair Roger D.
Published: December 2022

For decades, the suppliers of fed cattle have complained about monopsonistic exploitation by the dominant meatpackers. Recently, a group of ranchers and feedlot operators joined forces to build their own meatpacking plant in an effort to avoid such exploitation. In this context, we show that forward vertical integration by the suppliers of fed cattle will increase their profits while increasing output and lowering prices for consumers. In addition, we show that vertical integration improves both consumer welfare and social welfare. We also examine the use of a joint sales agency, which is an economically equivalent alternative to vertical integration.
Window of opportunity: screening for GCK monogenic diabetes in the antenatal diabetes clinic
Authors: Surendran Aarthi , Brackenridge Anna , White Sara L
Published: December 2022

Monogenic diabetes (MODY) is a rare, inherited form of diabetes, of which glucokinase (GCK) mutation is one of the most common forms. Correct diagnosis is important, particularly during pregnancy, as treatment should be tailored accordingly. In our antenatal diabetes clinic, we audited those eligible for genetic screening over a one‐year period as per European Best Practice guidelines (2008) and new NHS England criteria (2021), as well as those identified with the mutation. Our audit recorded a significant drop in the number of eligible women identified using new criteria (2.6% vs 5.2%), with a notable reduction in women of African ethnicity (15.2% vs 29.2%). The audit highlighted the need for increased health care professional awareness and the implementation of clear pathways within the antenatal diabetes service to facilitate identification of women for genetic screening and subsequent appropriate management. It also underlined the importance of ongoing assessment of the clinical performance of the new screening criteria. Copyright © 2022 John Wiley & Sons.
Sociotechnical interdependencies and tipping‐point dynamics in data‐intensive services
Authors: Ghaffarzadegan Navid , Mostafavi Sarah , Kim Hyunjung
Published: December 2022

Service science theories do not fully explain failure cases in data‐intensive services – high‐technology services that utilize large volumes of data and provide customized information for users. In these service systems, the technological and social elements are highly interconnected: firms cannot maintain databases and analytic capabilities if they lack market penetration, which itself is influenced by performance of analytic capabilities and databases; a positive feedback loop. Informed by a case study, we develop a simulation model, postulate that market adoption is highly sensitive to the launch conditions, specifically with respect to the initial states of the system, and offer a dynamic theory in which highly nonlinear relationships among the initial states of the system drive outcomes of the market adoption of data‐intensive services. We argue that a tipping point exists at which small technological differences in the launch period differentiates between market success and failure. Furthermore, our analysis points to a strong self‐fulfilling mechanism whereby initial positive customer perception can increase the service's likelihood of success by indirectly influencing technological improvement. In contrast to the conventional belief, having a large number of initial adopters may negatively influence market adoption in the long run. A major source of the patterns observed is the high level of interdependencies between social and technological elements of data‐intensive services. © 2022 System Dynamics Society.
Hybrid rubber‐concrete isolation slab system with various shape factors for structures subjected to horizontal and vertical vibrations
Authors: Fayyadh Nahal Kamil , Hejazi Farzad
Published: December 2022

The present framework proposed the development of a Hybrid Rubber‐Concrete Isolation Slab System (HRCISS) to support building structures subjected to horizontal and vertical vibration due to ground motion and machine or equipment operation in the structure. Given that the effect of the shape factor on both horizontal and vertical stiffness has yet to be reported, the proposed composite system was comprised of two layers under the nodal points of the upper layer near the slab corners with four High Damping Rubber (HDR) components positioned between the slab layers to dissipate multidirectional (horizontal and vertical directions) vibrations. The ABAQUS software was utilized to model the finite element model (FEM) and simulate the HRCISS subjected to cyclic horizontal and vertical displacements. For the optimal HDR design, the model was applied in five 3‐story buildings, and the effect of distinct shape factors (0
S
2) of the HDR bearings—the ratio of bearing's loaded area to unloaded area (free to bulge)—within the hybrid system was evaluated. For each building with a specific HDR shape factor, the HRCISS was installed in the first, second, and third stories, separately, to investigate the influence of the installation level of the isolation system on the overall structural performance. The multistory buildings were subjected to two types of vibration loads: the interior machine‐induced vibrations, and the exterior seismic‐induced vibrations in the horizontal and vertical directions. Based on the results, the FEM results proved the significant influence of the shape factors on the dynamic response of the HRCISS under both interior and exterior 3D vibrations when applied in multistory buildings. The lateral drift of the three‐story one‐bay buildings decreased with the decrement of shape factor with buildings of HRCISS installed in 1st story recording more reduction. Moreover, the deflection in the structural slab under the HRCISS decreased for lower shape factor bearings. Nevertheless, the reduced deflection was less affected by the level of the machine‐equipped story. The rubber layer also stiffened in shear and compression directions with a higher shape factor.
New York State’s WAVE Method - Evaluation of a Method for Water Quality Monitoring by Citizen Scientists using Benthic Macroinvertebrates
Authors: Onion Alene M. , Smith Alexander J. , Duffy Brian T.
Published: December 2022

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has developed a robust citizen science macroinvertebrate sampling method. The metric relies on the presence and not the absence of key macroinvertebrates and therefore is resistant to collection and sorting errors. It identifies unimpaired streams with high confidence (0.1% type 1 errors) and at a reasonable efficiency compared to NYSDEC’s multimetric index of biological integrity (54%). We rank remaining stream samples for further investigation using a calculated probability of impairment. This method is valuable as a tool for large monitoring programs with limited resources for quality assurance checks. The value of this method goes beyond data collection, however, as data of known quality is an effective communication tool between citizen scientists and state regulatory agencies and/or local decision makers.
Continuous and discrete data assimilation with noisy observations for the Rayleigh-Bénard convection: a computational study
Authors: Hammoud Mohamad Abed El Rahman , Le Maître Olivier , Titi Edriss S. , Hoteit Ibrahim , Knio Omar
Published: December 2022

Obtaining accurate high-resolution representations of model outputs is essential to describe the system dynamics. In general, however, only spatially- and temporally-coarse observations of the system states are available. These observations can also be corrupted by noise. Downscaling is a process/scheme in which one uses coarse scale observations to reconstruct the high-resolution solution of the system states. Continuous Data Assimilation (CDA) is a recently introduced downscaling algorithm that constructs an increasingly accurate representation of the system states by continuously nudging the large scales using the coarse observations. We introduce a Discrete Data Assimilation (DDA) algorithm as a downscaling algorithm based on CDA with discrete-in-time nudging. We then investigate the performance of the CDA and DDA algorithms for downscaling noisy observations of the Rayleigh-Bénard convection system in the chaotic regime. In this computational study, a set of noisy observations was generated by perturbing a reference solution with Gaussian noise before downscaling them. The downscaled fields are then assessed using various error- and ensemble-based skill scores. The CDA solution was shown to converge towards the reference solution faster than that of DDA but at the cost of a higher asymptotic error. The numerical results also suggest a quadratic relationship between the ℓ2 error and the noise level for both CDA and DDA. Cubic and quadratic dependences of the DDA and CDA expected errors on the spatial resolution of the observations were obtained, respectively.
Miklós Zrínyi’s Efforts in Strengthening the Military Defenses of Međimurje, Hungary
Authors: Padányi József , Ondrék József
Published: December 2022

Knowledge of the terrain and its use are essential for successful combat. This paper highlights the importance of these facts through the deeds of general Miklós VII Zrínyi (1620—64). His efforts to strengthen the defense of Međimurje resulted in a complex defense system that actively used the terrain to its advantage, established primarily for the protection of the Kakonya Crossing. The selection of the location of Novi Zrin, its strengthening, and the construction of the Zrínyi Ditch all prove that he was thinking of a complex system, and actively used the terrain to his advantage.
Slit-Strip Ising Boundary Conformal Field Theory 1: Discrete and Continuous Function Spaces
Authors: Ameen Taha , Kytölä Kalle , Park S. C. , Radnell David
Published: December 2022

This is the first in a series of articles about recovering the full algebraic structure of a boundary conformal field theory (CFT) from the scaling limit of the critical Ising model in slit-strip geometry. Here, we introduce spaces of holomorphic functions in continuum domains as well as corresponding spaces of discrete holomorphic functions in lattice domains. We find distinguished sets of functions characterized by their singular behavior in the three infinite directions in the slit-strip domains, and note in particular that natural subsets of these functions span analogues of Hardy spaces. We prove convergence results of the distinguished discrete holomorphic functions to the continuum ones. In the subsequent articles, the discrete holomorphic functions will be used for the calculation of the Ising model fusion coefficients (as well as for the diagonalization of the Ising transfer matrix), and the convergence of the functions is used to prove the convergence of the fusion coefficients. It will also be shown that the vertex operator algebra of the boundary conformal field theory can be recovered from the limit of the fusion coefficients via geometric transformations involving the distinguished continuum functions.
Regularized conditional estimators of unit inefficiency in stochastic frontier analysis, with application to electricity distribution market
Authors: Zeebari Zangin , Månsson Kristofer , Sjölander Pär , Söderberg Magnus
Published: December 2022

In stochastic frontier analysis, the conventional estimation of unit inefficiency is based on the mean/mode of the inefficiency, conditioned on the composite error. It is known that the conditional mean of inefficiency shrinks towards the mean rather than towards the unit inefficiency. In this paper, we analytically prove that the conditional mode cannot accurately estimate unit inefficiency, either. We propose regularized estimators of unit inefficiency that restrict the unit inefficiency estimators to satisfy some a priori assumptions, and derive the closed form regularized conditional mode estimators for the three most commonly used inefficiency densities. Extensive simulations show that, under common empirical situations, e.g., regarding sample size and signal-to-noise ratio, the regularized estimators outperform the conventional (unregularized) estimators when the inefficiency is greater than its mean/mode. Based on real data from the electricity distribution sector in Sweden, we demonstrate that the conventional conditional estimators and our regularized conditional estimators provide substantially different results for highly inefficient companies.
Academics’ Attitudes Toward Engaging in Public Discussions: Experimental Evidence on the Impact of Engagement Conditions
Authors: Püttmann Vitus , Ruhose Jens , Thomsen Stephan L.
Published: December 2022

Growing demands and expectations on the side of policy makers and the public have changed the conditions for academics’ engagement in public discussions. At the same time, risks related to this engagement for the professional and even private lives of academics have become apparent. Conducting a survey experiment among 4091 tenured professors in Germany, we study how these conditions causally affect academics’ attitudes toward engaging. Consistent with the crowding-out of intrinsic motivation, we find less-positive attitudes when emphasizing demands for engagement by public authorities and public expectations toward science’s societal relevance. Effects are particularly strong among professors endorsing science–society relations. Moreover, effects are similar when highlighting risks associated with engagement, but more pronounced for females and younger professors. Emphasizing public support for academics’ engagement has no discernible effects. We conclude that considering individual incentive structures and safeguarding against negative repercussions may promote academics’ engagement and an adequate representation of the diversity of academics in the public.
Detecting large-scale underwater cracks based on remote operated vehicle and graph convolutional neural network
Authors: Cao Wenxuan , Li Junjie
Published: December 2022

It is of great significance to quickly detect underwater cracks as they can seriously threaten the safety of underwater structures. Research to date has mainly focused on the detection of above-water-level cracks and hasn’t considered the large scale cracks. In this paper, a large-scale underwater crack examination method is proposed based on image stitching and segmentation. In addition, a purpose of this paper is to design a new convolution method to segment underwater images. An improved As-Projective-As-Possible (APAP) algorithm was designed to extract and stitch keyframes from videos. The graph convolutional neural network (GCN) was used to segment the stitched image. The GCN’s m-IOU is 24.02% higher than Fully convolutional networks (FCN), proving that GCN has great potential of application in image segmentation and underwater image processing. The result shows that the improved APAP algorithm and GCN can adapt to complex underwater environments and perform well in different study areas.