bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustaining the benefits of structured education: Participants' experiences of receiving structured individual support during a programme (DAFNEplus) informed by behavioural science
Authors: Hart Ruth I. , Rankin David , Chadwick Paul M. , de Zoysa Nicole , Heller Simon , Cooke Debbie , Elliott Jackie , Lawton Julia ,   the DAFNEplus study group
Published: May 2024

Aims

The DAFNEplus programme seeks to promote sustained improvements in glycaemic management by incorporating techniques from behavioural science. It includes five sessions of structured individual support delivered over 12 months following group education. As part of a broader evaluation, and to inform decision‐making about roll‐out in routine care, we explored participants' experiences of, and engagement with, that individual support.

Methods

We interviewed DAFNEplus participants (n = 28) about their experiences of receiving individual support and the impact they perceived it as having on their self management practices. We analysed data thematically.

Results

Participants described several important ways individual support had helped strengthen their self management, including: consolidating and expanding their understandings of flexible intensive insulin therapy; promoting ongoing review and refinement of behaviour; encouraging continued and effective use of data; and facilitating access to help from healthcare professionals to pre‐empt or resolve emergent difficulties. Participants characterised themselves as moving towards independence in self management over the time they received individual support, with their accounts suggesting three key stages in that journey: ‘Working with healthcare professionals’; ‘Growing sense of responsibility’; and, ‘Taking control’. Whilst all portrayed themselves as changed, participants' progress through those stages varied; a few continued to depend heavily on DAFNEplus facilitators for advice and/or direction at 12 months.

Conclusions

While all participants benefited from individual support, our findings suggest that some may need, or gain further benefit from, longer‐term, tailored support. This has important implications for decision‐making about roll‐out of DAFNEplus post‐trial and for the development of future programmes seeking to bring about sustainable changes in self management practices.
What Comparisons Can Do for Normative Theory
Authors: Espíndola Juan
Published: May 2024

This essay defends the use of empirical comparative analysis in the development of normative inquiry. In it, Juan Espíndola argues that comparisons between two or more carefully crafted cases can help us appreciate the relevant contextual considerations that must be factored into normative analysis. In the social sciences, comparisons are used to control whether a generalization holds across cases, for explanatory purposes. Comparisons have a controlling function. With respect to normative endeavors, Espíndola contends, comparisons can play a similar function. They can serve as a heuristic device to help us appreciate differences in what people value; in this sense, they also play an epistemic function, which can help us refine normative theories, especially if their ambition is to offer action‐guiding prescriptions.
The motifs of radical embodied neuroscience
Authors: Raja Vicente
Published: May 2024

In this paper, I analyse how the emerging scientific framework of radical embodied neuroscience is different from contemporary mainstream cognitive neuroscience. To do so, I propose the notion of motif to enrich the philosophical toolkit of cognitive neuroscience. This notion can be used to characterize the guiding ideas of any given scientific framework in psychology and neuroscience. Motifs are highly unconstrained, open‐ended concepts that support equally open‐ended families of explanations. Different scientific frameworks—e.g., psychophysics or cognitive neuroscience—provide these motifs to answer the overarching themes of these disciplines, such as the relationship between stimuli and sensations or the proper methods of the sciences of the mind. Some motifs of mainstream cognitive neuroscience are the motif of encoding, the motif of input–output systems, and the motif of algorithms. The two first ones answer the question about the relationship between stimuli, sensations and experience (e.g., stimuli are input and are encoded by brain structures). The latter one answers the question regarding the mechanism of cognition and experience. The three of them are equally unconstrained and open‐ended, and they serve as an umbrella for different kinds of explanation—i.e., different positions regarding what counts as a code or as an input. Along with the articulation of the notion of motif, the main aim of this article is to present three motifs for radical embodied neuroscience: the motif of complex stimulation, the motif of organic behaviour and the motif of resonance.
Diagnosis, treatment, and long‐term outcomes of pediatric pemphigus: a retrospective study at tertiary medical centers
Authors: Renert‐Yuval Yael , Baum Sharon , Greenberger Shoshana , Cohen‐Barak Eran , Oren‐Shabtai Meital , Ben‐Amitai Dan , Friedland Rivka
Published: May 2024

Background

Pediatric pemphigus is a rare bullous disease that represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge;  evidence on patients' response to various treatments and long‐term surveillance data are lacking. We aimed to investigate pediatric pemphigus patients' characteristics, diagnosis, therapeutics, response, and long‐term follow‐up.

Methods

This is a retrospective study of all pemphigus patients aged <18 years, diagnosed between 2000 and 2023, from three tertiary medical centers in Israel. The diagnosis was confirmed by positive immunofluorescence.

Results

Twelve pediatric pemphigus patients were included (mean age 10.7 ± 4.3 years, male:female ratio 1:1). Mean diagnostic delay was 11.1 ± 12.6 months (range 1.8–36 months). Most patients had pemphigus vulgaris with mucosal involvement (58.3%). First‐line treatment for all patients included systemic corticosteroids (sCS), with a treatment duration (including tapering down) of 28 ± 18.4 months. Hospitalization did not yield better outcomes. Only three patients achieved sustained complete response with sCS treatment (25.0%), and the rest required additional therapeutics, most commonly rituximab. Rituximab showed a good safety profile and therapeutic response. Follow‐up was recorded up to 18.1 years after diagnosis (mean: 5.6 years). Three of five patients with information available more than 5 years after the pemphigus diagnosis still exhibited disease symptoms.

Conclusions

Pediatric pemphigus is associated with a significant diagnostic delay. While sCS can induce remission in most patients as a first‐line treatment, long‐term disease control requires additional immunomodulators. Long‐term follow‐up reveals a chronic yet mostly benign disease course in this population and advocates for the use of rituximab in pediatric pemphigus patients.
Do academic advising and levels of support affect nursing students' mental health? A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Selim Abeer , Ibrahim Nashwa , Awad Shaimaa , Salama Ebtsam , Omar Abeer
Published: May 2024

Aim

The current study aimed to identify the association between social support, academic advising and mental health disorders among nursing students.

Background

Stress and workload can trigger multiple mental health disorders, especially for nursing students. Thus, academic advising and counselling help support students with academic and mental health problems.

Design

This cross‐sectional study utilized online questionnaires in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Methods

Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐4) and the Student Academic Advising and Counseling Survey (SAACS) were utilized to measure social support, depression and anxiety and evaluation of academic advising and counselling services, respectively.

Results

The study included 1134 nursing students (mean age of 20.3 years). Students with higher academic advising satisfaction were 37% less likely to experience depression (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.46–0.85) and mental disorders (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50–0.94). Moderate family social support was associated with lower depression (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37–0.93) and mental disorders (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33–0.92).

Conclusion

Academic advising and social support can mitigate mental health disorders among nursing students. These findings will help nurses and post‐secondary providers develop strategies to support nursing students during difficult times.
Colorectal polyps in young adults: a retrospective review of colonoscopy data from Toowoomba and the Darling Downs
Authors: Liu Leo , Nagel Robyn , Verma Shelley , Pinidiyapathirage Janani
Published: May 2024

Background

Polyps are the predominant precursors of colorectal cancer. In the past three decades, the incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer have been increasing in adults younger than 50 years.

Aims

The aim of this clinical audit was to evaluate the prevalence, characteristics and clinical associations of polyps in adults aged 18–49 years presenting to an established private gastroenterology clinic in the Toowoomba Darling Downs region.

Methods

The audit included data from 353 patient records held by the Toowoomba Gastroenterology Clinic. Data extracted from patient medical records through the Medical Director program software contained structured endoscopy/colonoscopy and histology reports of excised lesions of patients presenting to the clinic. The extract involved identifying all patients aged 18–49 years in the database from January 2019 to March 2022. Patients were screened based on audit inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were risk stratified for recommended surveillance intervals as per Australian Clinical Guidelines.

Results

Of the sample population, 33.4% were identified with polyps and 22.4% were identified with neoplastic polyps (NPs). A total of 6.7% of 18‐ to 29‐year‐old patients were identified with intermediate risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, and 19.8% and 19.3% of 30‐ to 39‐year‐old and 40‐ to 49‐year‐old patients identified with intermediate or high risk for CRC screening respectively. Increased age, greater size of polyps and surveillance of previous polyps were associated with increased NP prevalence.

Conclusions

Data from this audit supported the temporal trend of increasing prevalence of polyps in adults younger than 50 years. Patient cohorts aged 30–39 and 40–49 years may benefit from earlier first colonoscopies. Findings could be the impetus for future research in young adults presenting for colonoscopy.
Social inequities in early childhood caries in Australia: A population‐based study on statewide public dental services data
Authors: Singh Ankur , Hegde Shalika , Silva Mihiri , Whelan Martin , Karahalios Amalia , Manton David J. , Goldfeld Sharon , English Dallas R. , Dashper Stuart
Published: May 2024

Background

Social disadvantage leads to dental caries during childhood.

Aim

This study investigated whether dental caries occur earlier in children from households experiencing social disadvantage than those not experiencing social disadvantage.

Design

The overall risk of, and relative time to, early childhood caries (ECC) according to sociodemographic characteristics in Victoria, Australia, was quantified. Records for 134 463 children in Victoria, Australia, from 2009 to 2019 were analysed. Time ratios (TR) and hazard ratios (HR) of carious lesion(s) in early childhood were estimated.

Results

Compared with reference groups, Indigenous children had an adjusted TR of 0.80 (95% CI: 0.78, 0.82), children from households with languages other than English had an adjusted TR of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.82, 0.84), and dependants of concession cardholders had an adjusted TR of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.81); therefore, 20%, 17% and 19% reduced times to the first carious lesion, respectively. The estimated HRs were 1.57 (95% CI: 1.49, 1.67) for Indigenous children, 1.46 (95% CI: 1.42, 1.50) for children from households with other languages and 1.57 (CI: 1.53, 1.60) for dependants of concession cardholders.

Conclusion

Preventive oral health interventions must be targeted early in children from households experiencing social disadvantage to avoid social inequities in ECC.
Never‐Ending Mission of God
Authors: Cho Hyuk
Published: May 2024

The purpose of this article is to trace the evolution of the concept of missio Dei and examine the implications of each shift for the practice of mission. First, I explore the origin of missio Dei and its development from 1932 under Hitler's regime, and then I suggest Willingen's understanding of missio Dei in 1952 as an ecclesiocentric basis for mission. I then explore two more shifts in the understanding of missio Dei. Through the report on evangelism, The Church for Others and the Church for the World (1967), I assert that the report made a paradigm shift in the understanding of missio Dei as a theocentric mission with its implications for interfaith dialogue. Then, I present missio Dei as a Spirit‐centred mission based on the World Council of Churches' (WCC's) recent policy statement, Together towards Life (2013), and how to practise the concept of missio Dei as it is presented in the document by the WCC and ACT Alliance, Called to Transformation: Ecumenical Diakonia (2022).
Bible Study as Postcolonial Witnessing
Authors: Lakawa Septemmy Eucharistia
Published: May 2024

This article contextualizes Stef Craps’ concept of postcolonial witnessing and Shelly Rambo's concept of the afterlife of trauma to offer a model of Bible study as a postcolonial witnessing to the afterlife. The aim is to identify the contextual and multilayered dimensions of Bible study as a witnessing practice embedded in an Indonesian local Christian community's story of post‐religious communal violence and cultural trauma and its rereading of the Bible as a narrative of the afterlife. The community's story unveils an intergenerational community of survivors witnessing life within the intersection of the rupturing presence of violence, mission history, and its collective memory. I argue that a contextual Bible study from the lens of the afterlife imbued with a local Christian community's story of trauma and witnessing exemplifies an intergenerational, intertextual, and intercultural witnessing of life – thus, a postcolonial witnessing – which is relevant to mission studies in the context of trauma history and interreligious relationships.
Reparations and the Ministry of Planetary Peace
Authors: Ross‐Allam Anthony Jermaine
Published: May 2024

This article explores the historical roots and unfolding legacies of reparations denial as a continuation of the spiritual and socioeconomic planetary war perpetuated through the transatlantic slave trade. An examination of the social production of an anti‐reparations norm against Afro‐Americans in the United States seeks to uncover underlying fears of national destabilization and their relations to underexamined opportunities for functional solidarities across ethnicities, potentially offering a unique contribution to the pursuit of lasting global peace. The article proposes a twofold re‐examination. First, it insists on the rejection and reconception of religious concepts upholding and extending the socioeconomic relations of slavery and white supremacy through evasive political theological notions of human nature and historical time. Second, it advocates the formation of local, national, and international alliances dedicated to articulating, supporting, defending, and achieving reparations for distinct historical events as a means of repairing unique legacies of the transatlantic slave trade and Western colonialism for the common good, using an international ecumenical alliance for repair and reparations (AIRRE) developed by the Presbyterian Church's (USA) Center for the Repair of Historical Harms as an active example.
Timing and direction of faunal exchange between the Nearctic and the Palaearctic in Odonata
Authors: Pàmies‐Harder Maria , Múrria Cesc , Abbott John C. , Abbott Kendra , Kalkman Vincent J.
Published: May 2024

Aim

Species have different distribution patterns across the globe and among biogeographical regions. The Nearctic and Palaearctic regions share lineages because of their parallel biogeographic histories and ecological conditions. As the number of phylogenetic studies increases, there are more insights into past exchange events between these two regions and their effects on the current distribution of diversity. However, several groups have not been tested and an overall generalization is still missing. Here, we analyse the biogeographic history across multiple genera of odonates to elucidate a general process of species exchange, vicariance and species divergence between these two regions.

Location

The Holarctic, including the entire Nearctic and the East and West Palaearctic.

Taxon

14 genera of Odonata (Insecta).

Methods

We reconstructed a time‐calibrated phylogenetic tree for each genus to determine species relationships and divergence time using 3614 COI sequences of 259 species. Biogeographic ancestral range estimation was inferred for each phylogeny using BioGeoBEARS. Preferred habitat (lotic versus lentic) was established for each species.

Results

Exchange events were not restricted in time, direction or either lentic habitat or lotic habitat. Most genera crossed between both regions only once, and it was mainly across the Beringia, while three diverse anisopteran genera revealed multiple exchanges. Recent exchanges during the Pleistocene were associated with cold‐dwelling and lentic species.

Main Conclusions

Our finding reveals the absence of a generalizable pattern of species exchange and divergence between the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions; instead, we found lineage‐specific biogeographic patterns. This finding highlights the complexity of drivers and functional traits that shaped current diversity patterns. Moreover, it emphasizes that general conclusions cannot be formulated based on one single clade.
Contribution of FOS in neutrophils to venous thromboembolism via miR‐144 based on bioinformatic prediction and validation
Authors: Wang Ping , Zheng Lin , Qi Xiaotong , Wang Heng , Zhang Ruijing , Song Liying , Chen Ruihan , Yan Sheng , Chang Wenkai , Hu Jie , Wang Yuwen , Jin Haijiang , Shi Yongbin , Wu Zhihui , Zhao Wenbo , Shi Peilu , Tian Qinqin , Xing Miao , Dong Honglin
Published: May 2024

The Finkel‐Biskis‐Jinkins Osteosarcoma (c‐Fos; encoded by FOS) plays an important role in several cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and stroke. However, the relationship between FOS and venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains unknown. We identified differentially expressed genes in Gene Expression Omnibus dataset, GSE48000, comprising VTE patients and healthy individuals, and analysed them using CIBERSORT and weighted co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA). FOS and CD46 expressions were significantly downregulated (FOS p = 2.26E‐05, CD64 p = 8.83E‐05) and strongly linked to neutrophil activity in VTE. We used GSE19151 and performed PCR to confirm that FOS and CD46 had diagnostic potential for VTE; however, only FOS showed differential expression by PCR and ELISA in whole blood samples. Moreover, we found that hsa‐miR‐144 which regulates FOS expression was significantly upregulated in VTE. Furthermore, FOS expression was significantly downregulated in neutrophils of VTE patients (p = 0.03). RNA sequencing performed on whole blood samples of VTE patients showed that FOS exerted its effects in VTE via the leptin‐mediated adipokine signalling pathway. Our results suggest that FOS and related genes or proteins can outperform traditional clinical markers and may be used as diagnostic biomarkers for VTE.
Patterns of sub‐optimal change following CBT for childhood anxiety
Authors: Bertie Lizel‐Antoinette , Arendt Kristian , Coleman Jonathan R. I. , Cooper Peter , Creswell Cathy , Eley Thalia C. , Hartman Catharina , Heiervang Einar R. , In‐Albon Tina , Krause Karen , Lester Kathryn J. , Marin Carla E. , Nauta Maaike , Rapee Ronald M. , Schneider Silvia , Schniering Carolyn , Silverman Wendy K. , Thastum Mikael , Thirlwall Kerstin , Waite Polly , Wergeland Gro Janne , Hudson Jennifer L.
Published: May 2024

Background

Children and adolescents demonstrate diverse patterns of symptom change and disorder remission following cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders. To better understand children who respond sub‐optimally to CBT, this study investigated youths (N = 1,483) who continued to meet criteria for one or more clinical anxiety diagnosis immediately following treatment or at any point during the 12 months following treatment.

Methods

Data were collected from 10 clinical sites with assessments at pre‐and post‐treatment and at least once more at 3, 6 or 12‐month follow‐up. Participants were assigned to one of three groups based on diagnostic status for youths who: (a) retained an anxiety diagnosis from post to end point (minimal responders); (b) remitted anxiety diagnoses at post but relapsed by end point (relapsed responders); and (c) retained a diagnosis at post but remitted to be diagnosis free at end point (delayed responders). Growth curve models assessed patterns of change over time for the three groups and examined predictors associated with these patterns including demographic, clinical and parental factors, as well as treatment factors.

Results

Higher primary disorder severity, being older, having a greater number of anxiety disorders, having social anxiety disorder, as well as higher maternal psychopathology differentiated the minimal responders from the delayed and relapsed responders at the baseline. Results from the growth curve models showed that severity of the primary disorder and treatment modality differentiated patterns of linear change only. Higher severity was associated with significantly less improvement over time for the minimal and relapsed response groups, as was receiving group CBT, when compared to the delayed response group.

Conclusions

Sub‐optimal response patterns can be partially differentiated using variables assessed at pre‐treatment. Increased understanding of different patterns of change following treatment may provide direction for clinical decision‐making and for tailoring treatments to specific groups of clinically anxious youth. Future research may benefit from assessing progress during treatment to detect emerging response patterns earlier.
Modeling Response Styles in Cross‐Classified Data Using a Cross‐Classified Multidimensional Nominal Response Model
Authors: Huang Sijia , Chung Seungwon , Falk Carl F.
Published: May 2024

In this study, we introduced a cross‐classified multidimensional nominal response model (CC‐MNRM) to account for various response styles (RS) in the presence of cross‐classified data. The proposed model allows slopes to vary across items and can explore impacts of observed covariates on latent constructs. We applied a recently developed variant of the Metropolis‐Hastings Robbins‐Monro (MH‐RM) algorithm to address the computational challenge of estimating the proposed model. To demonstrate our new approach, we analyzed empirical student evaluation of teaching (SET) data collected from a large public university with three models: a CC‐MNRM with RS, a CC‐MNRM with no RS, and a multilevel MNRM with RS. Results indicated that the three models led to different inferences regarding the observed covariates. Additionally, in the example, ignoring/incorporating RS led to changes in student substantive scores, while the instructor substantive scores were less impacted. Misspecifying the cross‐classified data structure resulted in apparent changes on instructor scores. To further evaluate the proposed modeling approach, we conducted a preliminary simulation study and observed good parameter and score recovery. We concluded this study with discussions of limitations and future research directions.
Difference between kidney function by cystatin C versus creatinine and association with muscle mass and frailty
Authors: Yuan Julia H. , Rifkin Dena E. , Ginsberg Charles , Cawthon Peggy M. , Kado Deborah M. , Bauer Scott R. , Ensrud Kristine E. , Hoffman Andrew R. , Potok O. Alison
Published: May 2024

Background

A higher difference in estimated glomerular filtration rate by cystatin C versus creatinine (eGFRDiff = eGFRCys – eGFRCreat) is associated with decreased frailty risk. Since eGFRCreat is influenced by muscle more than eGFRCys, muscle mass may explain this association. Previous work could not account for this when considering regional muscle measures by imaging. Deuterated creatine (D3Cr) dilution measures whole body muscle mass (kilograms). We aimed to determine whether eGFRDiff is associated with D3Cr muscle mass and whether muscle mass explains the association between eGFRDiff and frailty.

Methods

Cross‐sectional analysis within the multicenter MrOS Study at Year 14 (visit 4). 490 men of the original cohort of 5994 MrOS participants (aged ≥65 at enrollment) were included. Exposure was eGFRDiff (= eGFRCys – eGFRCreat), calculated using CKD‐EPI equations 2012/2021. Primary outcome was D3Cr muscle mass. Secondary outcome was phenotypic pre‐frailty (one or two criteria) and frailty (≥three criteria) including the following: weight loss, weakness, slow gait, physical activity, poor energy. The association of eGFRDiff with D3Cr muscle mass was examined by linear regression, that with prefrailty / frailty by multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Mean ± SD age was 84 ± 4 years, eGFRCreat 68 ± 16, eGFRCys 52 ± 16, eGFRDiff −15 ± 12 mL/min/1.73 m2 and D3Cr muscle mass 24 ± 4 kg. For each SD increment in eGFRDiff, D3Cr muscle mass was 1.4 kg higher on average, p < 0.0001 (fully adjusted). Higher eGFRDiff was associated with lower odds of frailty (OR = 0.63 95% CI [0.45;0.89]), but this was partially attenuated and insignificant after additionally adjusting for D3Cr muscle mass (OR = 0.85 95% CI [0.58; 1.24]).

Conclusions

Higher eGFRDiff is associated with lower odds of frailty among late‐life men. D3Cr muscle mass accounts for some of this association. This suggests that non‐GFR determinants of creatinine and cystatin C, such as muscle mass, play a role in explaining the association of eGFRDiff with frailty. Future studies are needed to confirm.
Transcription factor OsWRKY11 induces rice heading at low concentrations but inhibits rice heading at high concentrations
Authors: Zhao Lirong , Liu Yunwei , Zhu Yi , Chen Shidie , Du Yang , Deng Luyao , Liu Lei , Li Xia , Chen Wanqin , Xu Zhiyu , Xiong Yangyang , Ming You , Fang Siyu , Chen Ligang , Wang Houping , Yu Diqiu
Published: May 2024

The heading date of rice is a crucial agronomic characteristic that influences its adaptability to different regions and its productivity potential. Despite the involvement of WRKY transcription factors in various biological processes related to development, the precise mechanisms through which these transcription factors regulate the heading date in rice have not been well elucidated. The present study identified OsWRKY11 as a WRKY transcription factor which exhibits a pivotal function in the regulation of the heading date in rice through a comprehensive screening of a clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) ‒ CRISPR‐associated nuclease 9 mutant library that specifically targets the WRKY genes in rice. The heading date of oswrky11 mutant plants and OsWRKY11‐overexpressing plants was delayed compared with that of the wild‐type plants under short‐day and long‐day conditions. Mechanistic investigation revealed that OsWRKY11 exerts dual effects on transcriptional promotion and suppression through direct and indirect DNA binding, respectively. Under normal conditions, OsWRKY11 facilitates flowering by directly inducing the expression of OsMADS14 and OsMADS15. The presence of elevated levels of OsWRKY11 protein promote formation of a ternary protein complex involving OsWRKY11, Heading date 1 (Hd1), and Days to heading date 8 (DTH8), and this complex then suppresses the expression of Ehd1, which leads to a delay in the heading date. Subsequent investigation revealed that a mild drought condition resulted in a modest increase in OsWRKY11 expression, promoting heading. Conversely, under severe drought conditions, a significant upregulation of OsWRKY11 led to the suppression of Ehd1 expression, ultimately causing a delay in heading date. Our findings uncover a previously unacknowledged mechanism through which the transcription factor OsWRKY11 exerts a dual impact on the heading date by directly and indirectly binding to the promoters of target genes.
Current opinion on the prospect of mapping electronic orbitals in the transmission electron microscope: State of the art, challenges and perspectives
Authors: Bugnet M. , Löffler S. , Ederer M. , Kepaptsoglou D. M. , Ramasse Q. M.
Published: May 2024

The concept of electronic orbitals has enabled the understanding of a wide range of physical and chemical properties of solids through the definition of, for example, chemical bonding between atoms. In the transmission electron microscope, which is one of the most used and powerful analytical tools for high‐spatial‐resolution analysis of solids, the accessible quantity is the local distribution of electronic states. However, the interpretation of electronic state maps at atomic resolution in terms of electronic orbitals is far from obvious, not always possible, and often remains a major hurdle preventing a better understanding of the properties of the system of interest. In this review, the current state of the art of the experimental aspects for electronic state mapping and its interpretation as electronic orbitals is presented, considering approaches that rely on elastic and inelastic scattering, in real and reciprocal spaces. This work goes beyond resolving spectral variations between adjacent atomic columns, as it aims at providing deeper information about, for example, the spatial or momentum distributions of the states involved. The advantages and disadvantages of existing experimental approaches are discussed, while the challenges to overcome and future perspectives are explored in an effort to establish the current state of knowledge in this field. The aims of this review are also to foster the interest of the scientific community and to trigger a global effort to further enhance the current analytical capabilities of transmission electron microscopy for chemical bonding and electronic structure analysis.
Effect of different materials of filter holder on sensory profile of coffee beverages
Authors: Santos Wallysson Wagner Vilela , Lima Kellyson Leandro Barbosa , de Lucena Rodrigo Mendonça , de Arruda Luciana Leite Andrade Lima , de Oliveira Rodrigo Lira , dos Santos Silva Marcelo Edvan , da Silva Suzana Pedroza
Published: May 2024

Coffee beverages are renowned for their complex chemical composition and sensory attributes. The Koar® filter holder, developed in Brazil, is an extraction method which utilizes percolation and is available in acrylic, stainless steel, ceramic, and porcelain variations. Thus, this study aimed to investigate how the manufacturing materials of Koar® filter holders impact the sensory profile of coffee beverages, as perceived by consumers. A group of 100 consumers were used, and the methods of check all that apply (CATA), and acceptance testing were applied. The results revealed significant variations in eight sensory attributes assessed by consumers. The beverages prepared with ceramic and porcelain filter holders exhibited similar sensory profiles, contrasting with those produced using acrylic and stainless steel. These sensory findings emphasize the impact of the Koar® filter holder material on the coffee beverage's sensory attributes and underscore the importance of understanding the specific perceptions and needs of the target audience.

Practical applications

Considering the importance of the studies with consumers, this research presents findings that are very important for industries in the equipment production segment for the coffee beverage extraction process. Based on the results presented in this study, industries can develop products with specific materials that can enhance the sensorial attributes of the coffee beverage according to consumer preference.
Point‐of‐care diabetes testing in the dental setting: A national scope of practice survey
Authors: Laniado Nadia , Brodigan Ashley E. , Cloidt Megan
Published: May 2024

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of state dental directors regarding their state's professional practice act, specifically scope of practice laws regarding point‐of‐care chairside screening for diabetes.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study design was used to examine the 50 state dental directors' knowledge of policy around point‐of‐care diabetes testing in their state. A five‐item survey instrument was designed in a web‐based platform and electronically distributed in 2022.

Results

Thirty‐seven states (74%) responded to the survey. Regarding whether it was within the scope of practice for dentists to provide chairside point‐of‐care HbA1c screening, 17 states (46.0%) responded “yes,” 5 states (13.5%) responded “no,” and 15 states (40.5%) responded “don't know.” Of the 17 states who provide diabetes testing, four states (23.5%) reported that dentists were reimbursed, nine states (53.0%) reported they were not reimbursed, and four states (23.5%) reported they did not know regarding reimbursement.

Conclusions

There is significant state heterogeneity with regard to laws, regulations, and reimbursement for chairside diabetes testing in the United States. This is accompanied by vagueness and lack of specificity in the state education laws. For more widespread promotion and adoption of this evidence‐based screening, the entire dental community including clinicians, educators, policymakers, payers, and professional organizations at all levels are encouraged to work together to advocate for clarification and specificity in the language of state education laws as well as reimbursement for this vital service.
Internet memes and copyright: Facilitating the memetic remix discourse by viewing joint authorship flexibly?
Authors: Leung Brian
Published: May 2024

Interactions between internet meme culture and copyright law are inherently complex: online communities often do not seek express permission from rightsholders of underlying work to recreate internet memes. However, internet meme culture can be tremendously valuable from sociocultural and economic standpoints. As such, there are apparent benefits if copyright law could integrate the memetic remix discourse within its evaluations in a systematic manner. To this end, this article entertains the merits of interpreting the joint authorship test flexibly, as one of the many possible ways to integrate the memetic remix discourse in UK copyright law. Such a systematic and integrated approach may better reflect internet meme culture. It allows copyright to prevent selective enforcement because rightsholders of underlying works will not enjoy sole control over the use of their work once they become viral internet memes. It also paves way for copyright law to systematically facilitate underlying works to evolve into viral internet memes without a constant dread of retrospective takedowns and infringement claims.
Making kin is more than metaphor: Implications of responsibilities toward Indigenous knowledge and artistic traditions for museums
Authors: Isaac Gwyneira , Burgio‐Ericson Klint , McChesney Lea , Green Adriana Greci , Charley Karen Kahe , Church Kelly , Dillard Renee Wasson
Published: May 2024

Many Indigenous communities do not regard objects as inanimate, but rather as animate kin. Based on our work as a collaborative group of museum coordinators and Hopi, Anishinaabe, and Penobscot artists, we explore narratives and kinship concepts emerging from working with collections of baskets and pottery. We question how recent theoretical conceptualizations of kinship have become overly rhetorical and, therefore, risk diminishing the tangible responsibilities that Indigenous knowledge systems teach. We explore how the new social networks forged through collaborative practices implicate museum personnel in kinship‐like relationships, which raises the question: What are the critical lessons museums can learn from the work of making and sustaining kin? Conventional western museology rarely contemplates these imperatives. The implications for museums that come with recognizing such networks are not only about conceptualizing kin in new ways, but also developing shared ethical protocols and responsibilities toward Indigenous knowledge and the environment over multiple generations.
Clinical aspects of oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders in South and Southeast Asia
Authors: Ranganathan Kannan , Kavitha Loganathan
Published: May 2024

Background

Oral cancer and Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMD) are major health problems in South and Southeast Asia.

Aims

To describe and discuss the clinical aspects of Oral Cancer and OPMD in South and Southeast Asia.

Materials and Methods

Literature review of concepts and data over the last four decades.

Discussion

Asian countries account for about two‐thirds of new cases of oral cancer (OC) globally, with the highest burden in the South and Southeast Asian countries, including Pakistan and India. Habits, dietary patterns, socioeconomic status, and access to routine dental care play a crucial role in defining the demographics and clinical presentation of OC in these regions and significantly influence the morbidity and mortality of the disease. This region sees the use of different types of tobacco with or without areca nut (AN), such as pan masala, gutka, gul, snuff, mawa, and mishri. Tobacco use is high among men in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Bhutan. Areca nut is the fourth most common addictive substance globally and is frequently used in South and Southeast Asian countries, including Southeast China, Hainan Island, India, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands, and immigrants from these regions in Africa, Europe, and North America. The use of these products results in mucosal alterations with varied clinical presentation of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs) and OC. We discuss here the different types of OPMD and OC, the diagnostic aids and their relevance in clinical practice, and factors that influence their prognosis.
CmBr confers fruit bitterness under CPPU treatment in melon
Authors: Wang Mingyan , Jiang Naiyu , Xu Yuanchao , Chen Xinxiu , Wang Cui , Wang Chuangjiang , Wang Shiqi , Xu Kuipeng , Chai Sen , Yu Qing , Zhang Zhonghua , Zhang Huimin
Published: May 2024

Many biotic or abiotic factors such as CPPU (N‐(2‐chloro‐pyridin‐4‐yl)‐N′‐phenylurea), a growth regulator of numerous crops, can induce bitterness in cucurbits. In melon, cucurbitacin B is the major compound leading to bitterness. However, the molecular mechanism underlying CuB biosynthesis in response to different conditions remains unclear. Here, we identified a set of genes involved in CPPU‐induced CuB biosynthesis in melon fruit and proposed CmBr gene as the major regulator. Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, we confirmed CmBr's role in regulating CuB biosynthesis under CPPU treatment. We further discovered a CPPU‐induced MYB‐related transcription factor, CmRSM1, which specifically binds to the Myb motif within the CmBr promoter and activates its expression. Moreover, we developed an introgression line by introducing the mutated Cmbr gene into an elite variety and eliminated CPPU‐induced bitterness, demonstrating its potential application in breeding. This study offers a valuable tool for breeding high‐quality non‐bitter melon varieties and provides new insights into the regulation of secondary metabolites under environmental stresses.
Responding to second‐order reasons
Authors: Keeling Sophie
Published: May 2024

A rich literature has discussed what it is to respond to a reason, e.g., to believe or act on the basis of some consideration or another. In comparison, what it would be to respond to a second‐order reason has been underexplored. Yet formulating an account of this is vital for maintaining the existence of second‐order reasons in both the practical and epistemic domains. And indeed, there are reasons to doubt this is possible. For example, responding to second‐order reasons is meant to be different from simply coming to believe or act for a more richly described first‐order reason but it's not clear what this would look like. This paper introduces an account of the second‐order basing relation which meets these concerns. It therefore both develops our picture of second‐order reasons and helps to defend their existence.
Growth kinetics, spatialization and quality of potato tubers monitored in situ by MRI ‐ long‐term effects of water stress
Authors: Musse Maja , Hajjar Ghina , Radovcic Aël , Ali Nusrat , Challois Sylvain , Quellec Stéphane , Leconte Patrick , Carillo Aurélien , Langrume Christophe , Bousset‐Vaslin Lydia , Billiot Bastien , Jamois Frank , Joly Gisèle , Deleu Carole , Leport Laurent
Published: May 2024

Understanding the potato tuber development and effects of drought at key stages of sensitivity on yield is crucial, particularly when considering the increasing incidence of drought due to climate change. So far, few studies addressed the time course of tuber growth in soil, mainly due to difficulties in accessing underground plant organs in a non‐destructive manner. This study aims to understand the tuber growth and quality and the complex long‐term effects of realistic water stress on potato tuber yield. MRI was used to monitor the growth kinetics and spatialization of individual tubers in situ and the evolution of internal defects throughout the development period.

The intermittent drought applied to plants reduced tuber yield by reducing tuber growth and increasing the number of aborted tubers. The reduction in the size of tubers depended on the vertical position of the tubers in the soil, indicating water exchanges between tubers and the mother plant during leaf dehydration events. The final size of tubers was linked with the growth rate at specific developmental periods. For plants experiencing stress, this corresponded to the days following rewatering, suggesting tuber growth plasticity. All internal defects occurred in large tubers and within a short time span immediately following a period of rapid growth of perimedullary tissues, probably due to high nutrient requirements. To conclude, the non‐destructive 3D imaging by MRI allowed us to quantify and better understand the kinetics and spatialization of tuber growth and the appearance of internal defects under different soil water conditions.
Neuroqueer frontiers: Neurodiversity, gender, and the (a)social self
Authors: Barnett Jessica Penwell
Published: May 2024

This paper critically synthesizes leading edge scholarship on neurodiversity, arguing that sociology could expand its account for the relationship between self and society through attention to the (a)social practices of those constructed as neurologically disabled. Autistic scholar‐activism birthed the neurodiversity paradigm, which claims respect for neurological diversity and its social manifestations. Sexual and gender variation are among those. I review research on the confluence of neurological, sexual, and gender variance, pointing to opportunities for documenting the roles of social institutions in constructing and regulating divergent bodyminds, as well as new intersectional identities and social movements. Next, I synthesize nascent literature developing neuroqueer theory. “Neuroqueer” articulates the queer nature of neurodivergence and examines the entwinement of the two. Centering the epistemic authority of bodyminds problematized as lacking self‐control/intent, perspective‐taking, and reliance on the social symbolic, neuroqueer scholars forward (a)social ways of knowing, communicating, communing, and being human. Focusing on neuronormativity, interdependent with better‐recognized normativities (e.g., gender, ethnicity, etc.), neuroqueer theory offers fresh perspective on how dominant concepts and relations render some bodyminds problematic—legitimate objects of exclusion, marginalization, and “rehabilitation.” In doing so, it troubles sociological ideas about agency, sociality, communication, and what it means to be/have a (social) self.
A Comparison of Transforming the User Stories and Functional Requirements into UML Use Case Diagram
Authors: Molla Md Monirul Islam , Ahmad Johanna , Wan Kadir Wan Mohd Nasir
Published: May 2024

Software development life cycle is a continuous process for every developer community, including establishing the user requirements and system design until software maintenance. The system design phase contains the transformation of all-natural language requirements into models. The Unified Modelling Language (UML) use case model is regarded as one of the most helpful diagrams for a software developer to understand the higher version of the software blueprint. It’s very useful to reflects the business requirements for any proposed software system. Manual analysis requires significant time and effort, highlighting the need for automated assistance. This study aims to enhance the machine learning techniques that have been utilized to transform user stories and functional requirements into a UML use case diagram. This research also investigate the use of an automated Natural Language Processing (NLP) tool and framework for mapping use case diagram elements from user stories and functional requirements written in natural languages. The proposed approach using a NLP based machine learning framework called BERT to predict and extract actors, use cases, and the relationship between actors and use cases. This approach has been applicable for both user stories and functional requirements. A dataset has been pre-processed in order to train this model and collected from various sources like Kaggle, software projects. There are 11 user stories and 11 functional requirements were selected to test the proposed solution. The data set from benchmark repositories. The extracted results during the whole NLP process are then mapped into actors, use cases, and relationships. This study was evaluated using both accuracy and precision values for performance measures. By applying NLP technologies, this research offers complete support for extracting elements and generating a use case diagram and revealed the 88% accuracy and 88% precision.
A Novel Analysis of the Size Effect on Stress Intensity Factor for Center and Edge Cracks in Tension by the Net-Section Mechanics
Authors: Ravi Chandran K. S.
Published: May 2024

An unresolved question in fracture mechanics is whether the variations in the size or aspect-ratio of cracked plates or structures have a significant effect on the stress intensity factor (SIF) at the crack tip. Indeed, there are significant numerical data showing the effect of specimen aspect-ratio on SIF. There is also experimental evidence supporting the existence of the size effect on fatigue and fracture behavior. However, there is no analytical formula to capture such a size effect on the stress intensity factor for standard fracture mechanics crack configurations. In this study, a novel net-section-based approach is used to develop simple and approximate SIF expressions for center and edge cracks in tension plates of various aspect ratios. Expressions have been derived for both uniform stress as well as uniform displacement boundary conditions. Comparisons are made with the available numerical stress intensity factor data. A remarkable agreement of the net-section-based SIF expressions with the numerical data (complex potential, finite element, and variational approaches) is found. For the clamped-end condition, the net-section approach leads to Rice's limiting SIF for a semi-infinite crack in an infinitely wide strip, validating the analysis. Additionally, the SIF expressions developed here also highlight some discrepancies in numerical data. The study provides simple SIF expressions that can be readily used to analyze specimen size or aspect-ratio effects on critical values of stress intensity factors for cracks in materials and structures under tension loading.