bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep learning and morphometric approach for Sex determination of the lumbar vertebrae in a Thai population
Authors: Malatong Yanumart , Intasuwan Pittayarat , Palee Patison , Sinthubua Apichat , Mahakkanukrauh Pasuk
Published: March 2022

Sex determination is a fundamental step in biological profile estimation from skeletal remains in forensic anthropology. This study proposes deep learning and morphometric technique to perform sex determination from lumbar vertebrae in a Thai population. A total of 1100 lumbar vertebrae (L1-L5) from 220 Thai individuals (110 males and 110 females) were obtained from the Forensic Osteology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. In addition, two linear measurements of superior and inferior endplates from the digital caliper and image analysis were carried out for morphometric technique. Deep learning applied image classification to the superior and inferior endplates of the lumbar vertebral body. All lumbar vertebrae images are included in the dataset to increase the number of images per class. The accuracy determined the performance of each technique. The results showed the accuracies of 82.7%, 90.0%, and 92.5% for digital caliper, image analysis, and deep learning techniques, respectively. The lumbar vertebrae L1-L5 exhibit sexual dimorphism and can be used in sex estimation. Deep learning is more accurate in determining sex than the morphometric method. In addition, the subjectivity and errors in the measurement are decreased. Finally, this study presented an alternative approach to determining sex from lumbar vertebrae when the more traditionally used skeletal elements are incomplete or absent.
The global rice agriculture towards 2050: An inter-continental perspective
Authors: Samal Parshuram , Babu Suresh Chandra , Mondal Biswajit , Mishra Sarba Narayan
Published: March 2022

The growth in rice consumption has either slowed down or become negative in all the continents although additional per capita demand for rice exists in Africa. The future additional rice demand will mainly come from the population growth in Africa and Asia. The production growth during the past led by growth in yield has helped in meeting rice demand around the globe. However, Africa continues to lag far behind other continents in achieving the desired level of yield. Additional research efforts are needed in all continents for the production of varieties with higher yield potential and desired grain quality with more emphasis on the African continent. The global demand for rice will be about 584 million tons or less towards 2050. With positive technological developments in the rice research arena, the shape of rice agriculture will change towards 2050. Asia may lose about 5 million ha and Africa gain about 10 million ha of rice land by 2050.
A curious case of upper limb infection
Authors: Chopra Shubham , Singh Thakur Twinkle , Madke Bhushan , Jawade Sugat , Rathod Nitin , Singh Riddhima
Published: March 2022

We report a case of chronic upper limb infection in an immunocompetent male. The condition started after penetrating trauma with a wooden splinter while working on a farm. The Microbiological study helped in the confirmation of the diagnosis of Botryomycosis. The patient was treated with a prolonged course of parenteral antibiotics.
Examination of the Relationship Among Balance, Physical Activity, and Anthropometry in Athletes With Visual Impairments
Authors: Esatbeyoglu Ferhat , Kin-İsler Ayse , Peyré-Tartaruga Leonardo A.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Although it is well documented in the literature that individuals with visual impairments have low physical activity levels and impaired body compositions and postural controls compared with peers without vision loss, the relation between these parameters in athletes with visual impairments is unknown.

Research Question

Here, we (i) evaluated the physical activity levels, balance measures, and anthropometry parameters in athletes with visual impairments and peers without vision loss controls and (ii) compared these variables between the two groups.

Methods

We designed a retrospective observational study with parallel groups conducted on 33 athletes with visual impairments and 33 sighted controls matched for age and sex. We also utilized a questionnaire about physical activity levels and assessed static balance for 4 conditions (eyes-open firm surface, eyes-closed firm surface, eyes-open foam surface, and eyes-closed foam surface) and anthropometry.

Results

In athletes with visual impairments, body composition, body mass index (BMI), physical activity level, and static balance parameters revealed no significant relationship ( p > .05), whereas eyes-open and -closed firm and foam surface conditions were positively related with physical activity at a moderate level ( r = 0.39, r = 0.38, p < .05, respectively). Moderate-intensity and high-intensity physical activity was positively associated with fat-free mass ( r = 0.82, r = 0.68, p < .01, respectively) and negatively related with body mass, fat %, and fat mass ( r = −0.67, r = −0.52, r = −0.72, r = −0.66, r = −0.50, r = −0.50, p < .01, respectively). Athletes with visual impairments presented lower static balance than the sighted controls for three conditions, while eyes-closed foam surface scores were similar in both groups. The physical activity levels were higher for athletes with visual impairments ( p < .05). However, we found no difference in the body composition and BMI between two groups ( p > .05).

Discussion

Sports participation from individuals with visual impairments is related to higher physical activity levels, resulting in better anthropometric profile. The balance control was not related to physical activity levels in athletes with visual impairments.
The Impact on Job-Quality of Firm-Level Support to Innovation: Evidence from Natural Experiment Conditions and Linked Employer-Employee Data in Portugal
Authors: Bondonio Daniele , Farinha Teresa , Mamede Ricardo Paes
Published: March 2022

Public support to firm-level investments in innovation is one of the main mechanisms through which the European Union promotes socioeconomic convergence among regions and the creation of quality jobs is considered a necessary condition for the convergence of disadvantaged regional economies. This paper exploits the availability of natural experiment conditions and linked employer-employee microdata in Portugal to offer empirical evidence on the impact on relevant job-quality outcomes of a large EU-cohesion-policy program to support SMEs’ innovation investments. The analysis is implemented by means of stratification/coarsened exact matching model, combined with a difference in difference scheme, suitable to the specific impact identification conditions. Our results indicate that the policy intervention in Portugal had a positive impact on job-quality outcomes, with each supported firm generating an average of 4.9 additional standard-working-time jobs, +2.9 skilled jobs, and +2.0 permanent-contract jobs, compared to a counterfactual scenario of no public support. These impacts were at a cost of about 16,100€, 27,100€ and 39,400€ in public subsidies per additional job, respectively. We also estimate that the program impact was responsible for a 2.20€ (+17.8%) increase of the per-hour remuneration. These findings are robust to sensitivity analysis, in terms of alternative matching procedures and comparison groups, and they highlight the fact that increasing job-quality is a policy goal that can be pursued, at a reasonable cost, also by means of cohesion-policy support to innovation aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs.

JEL classification: O1; R5; C23
An overview on ethnic fermented food and beverages of India: Interplay of microbes, immunity and nutrition
Authors: Sarma Upasana , Gupta Suchandra
Published: March 2022

Background: India is a land of diverse food culture and habits and has a plethora of ethnic fermented foods to boast of. Ranging from the north east to the western part of the country and from northern Indian states to the southern tip of the country, fermented ethnic foods have become part of everyday meals and have been able to bridge nutritional gaps and improve general immunity of the people. Most ethnic fermented foods have a rich content of protein, vitamins, fibres and minerals. Aim: Our review attempts to bring forth and summarise the most popular, immune boosting fermented foods of various regions in India, the role microbes’ play in their making and how they have impacted the nutritional aspects and immunity of people in various regions of the country. It also highlights the lack of clinical findings in proving the effectiveness of most fermented foods. Methods: Pubmed central and Google scholar were extensively searched from inception to July 2021 for study concepts and topic related keywords. Results: Ethnic fermented food of various Indian regions has shown a definitive role in improving health and immunity. Conclusion: The diverse ethnic fermented foods maybe be meat based, cereal based, pulses based and even vegetable based. Their health benefits and immune boosting abilities are still to be explored to its maximum potential. Often the role of microbes in these fermented foods have also been underplayed and left unexplored.
Women in State Law Enforcement: An Exploratory Trend Analysis
Authors: Yu Helen H. , Viswanath Shilpa
Published: March 2022

Gender diversity in policing has never been more important than it is today. However, women in state law enforcement are the least noticeable and most underrepresented of all women in policing. Using data from the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) surveys, this study examines gender diversity across the 49 primary state law enforcement agencies in the United States between 2000 and 2016. Although representation varies broadly across the states, the findings are mostly negative and suggest that women in state law enforcement have remained stagnant over the past two decades with very little improvement. This is important because scholarship must continue to bring attention to the underrepresentation of women in law enforcement, regardless of intergovernmental level, and monitor its progress.
Prognostic accuracy and impact of cerebral collateral status on clinical and safety outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients receiving reperfusion therapy: a systematic meta-analysis
Authors: Sinha Akansha , Stanwell Peter , Killingsworth Murray C , Bhaskar Sonu M M
Published: March 2022

Background

Cerebral collateral status has a potential role in mediating postreperfusion clinical and safety outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS).

Purpose

To investigate the prognostic accuracy and impact of collateral status on clinical and safety outcomes in patients with AIS receiving reperfusion therapy.

Material and Methods

Studies with AIS patients treated with reperfusion therapy, collateral status assessed using Tan, ASITN/SIR, or similar collateral grading methods and data stratified according to collateral status were included. Relevant data on clinical outcomes, such as functional outcome at 90 days, mortality at 90 days, angiographic reperfusion, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) and hemorrhagic transformation (HT), were collated and analyzed.

Results

A meta-analysis of 18 studies involving 4132 patients with AIS was conducted. Good collateral status was significantly associated with angiographic reperfusion (odds ratio [OR]=1.97, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.38–2.80; P < 0.0001), sICH (OR=0.67, 95% CI=0.46–0.99; P = 0.042), and 90-day functional outcome (OR=3.05, 95% CI=1.78–5.24; P < 0.0001). However, its association with HT (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.38–1.51; P = 0.425) and three-month mortality (OR=0.53, 95% CI=0.17–1.69; P = 0.280) did not reach statistical significance. The prognostic accuracy of collaterals for predicting angiographic reperfusion, HT, functional outcome (at 90 days), and mortality (at 90 days) were 63%, 49%, 66%, and 48%, respectively.

Conclusion

Cerebral collaterals are significantly associated with clinical and safety outcomes, albeit with a prognostic accuracy range of 48%–66%; thus, evaluation of their patency is a useful prognostic tool in patients with AIS receiving reperfusion therapy.
Colorectal medullary carcinoma: heterogeneous presentations of a rare clinico-pathological entity. Report of two cases
Authors: Romanzi Andrea , Centonze Giovanni , Sabella Giovanna , Cattaneo Laura , Battiston Carlo , Lorenzo Nadia Di , Milanesi Maria , Putortì Antonella , Rossi Fabrizio , Scolaro Roberta , Zanardo Michel , Vignati Barbara , Vannelli Alberto
Published: March 2022

Colorectal medullary carcinoma (CMC) is a rare subset of minimally differentiated carcinomas. CMC tend to be right-sided and present at an advanced stage. Despite this, distant metastases are rare at presentation. The liver and the regional lymph nodes represent the most common sites of metastases. Most of the time, CMCs exhibit mismatch repair deficiency and a strong association with high-level microsatellite instability. There is no conspicuous data regarding treatment strategies and short-term outcomes. CMC is supposed to be related to better prognosis compared to poorly-differentiated and undifferentiated colonic adenocarcinomas, but reports are controversial.

This lesion, with heterogeneous presentations and unclear prognostic significance, may be unfamiliar to histopathologists and can lead to diagnostic uncertainty and overtreatments.

Our aim is to renew the attention to this rare histological subtype through the report of two cases.
Making markets from the data of everyday life
Authors: Chandrashekeran Sangeetha , Keele Svenja
Published: March 2022

This paper shows how the capture and circulation of data about social lives are enabled through digitalisation and market logics and practices. Drawing on Australia's new Consumer Data Right, a state-led initiative that creates access rights to personal data, we distinguish between market promises and the translation of market models in actually existing markets and regulatory frameworks. ‘Life's work’ is brought to market through promises to fix the problems of essential service markets by harnessing data. We argue that the Consumer Data Right is underpinned by a more ambitious vision to create future markets that transcend individual sectors through aggregation across the economy. These visions are silent on how the data, which cannot be owned and therefore cannot be commoditised, is capitalised. We show the Consumer Data Right's discursive, administrative, regulatory and technical aspects through which the previously hard-to-penetrate spaces of the home and everyday life become enrolled in circuits of value, both present and future. This involves technical standard setting by state agencies for accreditation, consent and approval processes; discourses of trust and calculative devices to promote consumer control; and weak de-identification and deletion requirements that grant data an afterlife beyond the original agreed use. This paper calls for greater attention to the enabling role of the state in digital markets as a counterbalance to the focus on the state's regulatory and constraining role. We argue for a more staged approach to market-making analysis to show how the state lays the market foundations that can then be deepened through practices of intermediation and capitalisation by private firms.
Automated Vehicle Failure: The First Pedestrian Fatality and Public Perception
Authors: Tapiro Hagai , Wyman Amy , Borowsky Avinoam , Petzoldt Tibor , Wang Xuesong , Hurwitz David S.
Published: March 2022

On the evening of March 18, 2018, an automated vehicle (AV) struck and killed a 49-year-old pedestrian in Tempe, AZ, as she crossed the road. From about 2 weeks before the crash through April 30, 2018, an online survey, designed to address U.S. public perceptions of AVs among vulnerable road users, was distributed to adult U.S. residents. Survey responses were collected from 1,409 individuals. This survey provided a unique opportunity to examine the “first failure effect” of an AV on U.S. public perceptions of AV technology. The survey considered response date, age, gender, education, place of residence, and primary transportation mode as explanatory variables, and general impression, trust, acceptance, and perceived safety as independent variables. After the crash, general impression, trust, acceptance, and perceived safety levels dropped significantly. Perceived safety did not return to its precrash level through to the end of the survey, whereas all other measures returned to their precrash levels approximately 1 month postcrash. On average, younger, educated, and male respondents held a more positive attitude of AVs than older, less educated, and female respondents. Findings indicate that high-visibility negative events may affect how individuals perceive and interact with AVs.
New Model for Predicting Rutting Performance of Superpave Asphalt Mixes
Authors: Hasan Md Mehedi , Hasan Md Amanul , Tarefder Rafiqul A.
Published: March 2022

This study presents a new model for predicting rutting performance and stripping characteristics of Superpave asphalt concrete (AC) mixes from laboratory Hamburg Wheel Tracking Device (HWTD) test data. A total of 33 AC mixes were used and tested for HWTD to determine the rutting and stripping susceptibility of the mixes. The combined Franken–power approach was used to fit the rut data. The pertinent regression coefficients were then correlated to the mix’s physical and volumetric properties, that is, binder grade, reclaimed asphalt pavement content, effective asphalt content, voids in mineral aggregate, and aggregate gradation. A logistic regression analysis was employed in the model to capture the stripping characteristic of the mixes. The developed model was validated with a new set of HWTD test data. The model was observed to be capable of predicting the rutting and stripping characteristics of the AC mixes, which agreed reasonably well with laboratory test results. Therefore, the proposed model could be used for mix screening purposes at the mix design stage to avoid the significant consequences of failure in the field, and as a tool to determine rutting performance when laboratory testing is not feasible.
Black, White, and Read all Over: Exploring Racial Bias in Print media Coverage of Serial Rape Cases
Authors: Wright Lauren E. , Watts Stephen J.
Published: March 2022

The discussion of race and crime has been a long-standing interest of researchers, with statistics consistently showing an overrepresentation of non-white offenders compared to their white counterparts – specifically in relation to violent crimes such as murder and rape. Prior research has found that about 46 percent of identified serial rapists are black, which correlates with other sensationalized violent crimes such as mass murder and serial murder (Wright, Vander Ven, & Fesmire; 2016). The news media are the primary sources of this kind of information for the general public, with previous studies acknowledging that the media primarily focus on discussing non-white offenders in their crime-based news stories. With the majority of Americans receiving their information about crime from the news media, it is important to increase our understanding of how they present crime information. The current study explores the print media representations of serial rapists, from 1940–2010, from five prominent newspapers: The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and the Chicago Tribune. A content analysis was conducted on 524 articles covering 297 serial rape offenders from the data compiled by Wright and colleagues (2016) in which race of the offender was known. Results suggest that while newspapers dehumanize both white and non-white offenders, white offenders tend to have their behavior neutralized using techniques to garner more sympathy, while these same neutralization techniques are not generally applied to non-white offenders, thus potentially increasing racial and ethnic bias.
Effect of occupational cadmium exposure on the thyroid gland and associated inflammatory markers among workers of the electroplating industry
Authors: Ramadan Mona Abdallah , Saif Eldin Aisha Safwat
Published: March 2022

Cadmium (Cd) is widespread throughout the environment and is used in the electroplating industry. It has been found to have an effect on the endocrine system. However, its effects and their underlying mechanisms are still not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate how cadmium exposure at work affected the levels of thyroid hormones and the associated inflammatory and oxidative markers. This study was conducted in an electroplating industry in Cairo, Egypt. Ninety male cadmium-exposed workers were matched with 90 male unexposed participants. A detailed questionnaire was designed and given to every participant in the study, and full clinical examinations were carried out. Blood samples were collected from all participants for determination of levels of serum cadmium, thyroid hormones, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), malondialdehyde (MDA), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Morning midstream urine samples were obtained to measure urine cadmium levels. Results showed that the total blood and urinary cadmium levels were significantly higher in the exposed group (2.38 ± 0.94 μg/L and 5.45 ± 1.92 μg/g creatinine, respectively) than in the unexposed group. The serum levels of anti-TPO antibody, TSH, MDA, IL-6, and TNF-α also were significantly higher in the cadmium-exposed group than in the unexposed group. Significant direct relationships were seen between the biological indices of cadmium exposure and anti-TPO antibodies, TSH, IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA. It was concluded that there is a link between occupational cadmium exposure and autoimmune hypothyroidism, inflammatory, and oxidative stress markers.
The Price of Consent: Identity Wages in the Games Industry
Authors: Buck Alison R.
Published: March 2022

Sociologists have long known that wages are not all that attract highly skilled workers to jobs. Identity rewards in organizations of work are opportunities for workers to affirm valued identities. Past research has found that workers who value these rewards will protect them when they are threatened. Other scholars have shown that managers can use identity rewards to control and elicit cooperation from workers. Another body of scholarship has explored how gendered assumptions and expectations are built into organizations of work. Based on 2 years of field research and 18 interviews with games industry professionals, my research unites these lines of inquiry, by examining how gendered identity rewards entice game developers for game developers to forgo higher wages and more stable conditions in other areas of software development, reinforcing both exploitive class relations and a culture hostile to marginalized workers.
Sterling insights into natural resources intensification, ageing population and globalization on environmental status in Mediterranean countries
Authors: Gyamfi Bright Akwasi , Adebayo Tomiwa Sunday , Bekun Festus Victor , Agboola Mary Oluwatoyin
Published: March 2022

Along with the increasing aging population (AP) and global interconnectedness in the Mediterranean bloc comes climate change issues faced by the Mediterranean region in its trajectory to energy security and sustainable development. To meet the continuous energy consumption demand while cutting down natural resources extraction and exploitation with a view to minimizing environmental impacts, the policy structure in these countries may require readjustment, which is the motivation for the present study. This study advances a strategic framework for investigating the impact of natural resources rent as well as aging reliance on carbon emissions in the Mediterranean region for the annual frequency data from 1990–2016. Using quantile regression to analyze the highlighted variables, empirical results shows that both income and natural resources rent have an inverted U-Shaped connection with CO2 emission, which affirms the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis. Subsequently, globalization and energy use show a positive relationship with emissions while AP is negatively correlated with emissions. Depending on the outcomes of this analysis, a multi-stage Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) framework has been developed and SDG- 7, SDG -13 as well as SDG-8 were examined in this context. While these three SDGs are the main targets of the study, the SDG System has also provided a way to test other SDGs.
Factors Associated With Health-Related Quality of Life Among Female Secondary Schools Teachers
Authors: Zamri Eva Nabiha , Hoe Victor Chee Wai , Moy Foong Ming
Published: March 2022

Determining the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of secondary school teachers and its relationship with various factors will provide a basis for improving their quality of life and benefit society. To this end, this article endeavors to determine the factors associated with HRQoL among female secondary school teachers in Selangor, Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional study of 888 female secondary school teachers in Selangor, Malaysia. We used a self-reported questionnaire to collect data, and linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated between physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of HRQoL. Age, body mass index (BMI), symptoms of depression and anxiety, and reporting low back pain were significantly associated with PCS. Meanwhile, age, symptoms of depression, and resilience level were significantly associated with MCS. These findings will benefit workplaces in planning strategies and initiatives to improve HRQoL among female secondary school teachers in Malaysia.
50 Years of Sports Teams in Work Teams Research: Missed Opportunities and New Directions for Studying Team Processes
Authors: Quigley Narda R. , Gardner Sharyn D. , Drone Addison
Published: March 2022

For the last 50 years, sports team samples have played a significant role in mainstream management literature. Prior research has analyzed different kinds of data, such as archival, survey-based, and interviews/observations, from a wide range of sports teams. These teams differ greatly in terms of contexts (i.e., recreational to intercollegiate to professional) and types of interdependence. We explore this body of work and focus on what is germane for the work teams literature as we examine 255 relevant articles spanning the years 1972–2021 in major management, organizational behavior (OB), human resource management (HRM), and strategy journals. Using the input-process-outcome model in our coding process, we identify the relative absence of the study of team processes. We develop a conceptual framework linking team interdependence, team processes, and the initiation and maintenance of these processes. This framework is intended to help guide future research on team processes in the context of sports team samples and enhance the generalizability of this research to the work teams domain. Additionally, we identify an agenda for future research using sports team samples for work groups/teams researchers. Overall, we intend to spur thoughtful and creative future research in the work groups/teams area using the rich field environment that sports teams present.
Physicochemical stability of PF-06439535 (bevacizumab-bvzr; Zirabev®), a bevacizumab biosimilar, under extended in-use conditions
Authors: Weiser Sarah , Burns Chris , Zartler Edward R.
Published: March 2022

Introduction

PF-06439535 (bevacizumab-bvzr; Zirabev®) is a bevacizumab biosimilar. The stability profile and functional activity of PF-06439535 after dilution for intravenous infusion was evaluated following extended storage conditions.

Methods

PF-06439535 drug product was diluted in 0.9% sodium chloride to produce final concentrations of 1.4 and 16.5 mg/mL of PF-06439535, representing clinically relevant low and high doses for intravenous infusion. Three drug product lots and three infusion bag types (polyolefin, ethylene vinyl acetate, and polyvinyl chloride) were tested. To simulate the potential preparation and administration conditions encountered in a clinical setting, prepared drug solutions were initially stored at 25 ± 5°C for 24 ± 2 h, and then at 5 ± 3°C for up to 6 weeks. Extended storage was followed by storage at 25 ± 5°C for 24 ± 2 h before testing. Physicochemical and biological stability were evaluated according to visual characteristics and pH, protein concentration, particulate content, the proportions of molecular weight variants and charge variants, and relative potency. A wide range of analytical techniques optimized for PF-06439535 assessment were employed, such as size-exclusion chromatography, non-reducing sodium dodecyl sulfate capillary electrophoresis, cation-exchange chromatography, far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and an in vitro cell-based bioassay.

Results

For all concentrations, drug product lots, infusion bag types, and time points tested, there were no significant changes in protein concentration and no notable differences in visual characteristics (color, clarity, and visible particulates). The abundance of molecular weight variants and charge variants remained stable over the 6-week study period. There were no stability concerns with regard to sub-visible particles. There were no significant changes in primary, secondary, or tertiary structure. Finally, the in vitro relative potency of PF-06439535 was maintained throughout the study period.

Conclusions

The stability and biological activity of PF-06439535 was maintained after dilution and storage for up to 6 weeks at 2–8°C, demonstrating the integrity of diluted PF-06439535 under extended in-use conditions.
Toxicological Implications of Biological Heterogeneity
Authors: Choudhuri Supratim
Published: March 2022

From a micro to macro scale of biological organization, macromolecular diversity and biological heterogeneity are fundamental properties of biological systems. Heterogeneity may result from genetic, epigenetic, and non-genetic characteristics (e.g., tissue microenvironment). Macromolecular diversity and biological heterogeneity are tolerated as long as the sustenance and propagation of life are not disrupted. They also provide the raw materials for microevolutionary changes that may help organisms adapt to new selection pressures arising from the environment. Sequence evolution, functional divergence, and positive selection of gene and promoter dosage play a major role in the evolution of life’s diversity including complex metabolic networks, which is ultimately reflected in changes in the allele frequency over time. Robustness in evolvable biological systems is conferred by functional redundancy that is often created by macromolecular diversity and biological heterogeneity. The ability to investigate biological macromolecules at an increasingly finer level has uncovered a wealth of information in this regard. Therefore, the dynamics of biological complexity should be taken into consideration in biomedical research.
Commercial vs Homemade Cat Diets: What you need to know
Authors: Villaverde Cecilia , Chandler Marge
Published: March 2022

Practical relevance

A feeding plan recommendation for cats, both healthy and with disease, should include diet choice, amounts to feed and the feeding method. Diet choice can be complex owing to the abundance of products, sometimes with conflicting marketing messages, and the prevalence of information with no scientific basis. It is important to be aware of the specific challenges of both commercial and homemade diets. Moreover, a nutritional assessment is a prerequisite when recommending a diet to ensure that it is safe, appropriate for the cat’s life stage and nutritious for long-term feeding.

Commercial vs homemade diets

There are a variety of commercial diets available, allowing considerable customisation. These products are regulated and can be tested to determine nutritional adequacy and safety, although as the industry is partly self-regulated, choice of manufacturer is important. Properly formulated homemade diets can be customised to the patient and are a good option when no commercial product that meets the patient’s needs exists. Homemade diets can be an owner preference. A serious limitation is the lack of testing, potentially affecting safety and also resulting in a reliance on database information to determine nutritional adequacy. Generic homemade diet recipes (eg, sourced from the internet) have additional risks of deficiencies and imbalances, and are not recommended. Homemade diets should be devised by a veterinary nutrition specialist with consideration of both patient and owner factors.

Clinical challenges

Dietary misinformation, which is all too readily available on the internet, may result in owners making questionable feeding choices for their pets. A homemade diet may be requested by owners based on the perception that there are poor ingredients in commercial foods. The veterinary healthcare team needs to have good evidence-based information to present to owners about diet choice.

Evidence base

Several decades of research on feline nutrition forms the basis for nutritional requirements and dietary recommendations. There are varying degrees of evidence regarding requirements for each nutrient, and a lack of data on the effects of different types of processing on nutrient needs.
Viral Cardiomyopathies Associated With SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Almanza-Hurtado Amilkar , Martínez-Ávila María Cristina , Rodríguez-Yánez Tomás , Paternina-Mendoza María Carolina , Gutiérrez-Ariza Juan Camilo , Gómez-Arroyo Gino
Published: March 2022

Context:

Since the end of 2019 with the identification of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it produces, named COVID-19, various manifestations have been described, initially pulmonary due to acute and severe respiratory syndromes, now systemic manifestations have been described.

Case Report:

We report 3 cases of patients with cardiovascular manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, highlighting the diagnostic approach and variety of presentation, from acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, heart failure, shock, arrhythmias to sudden death.

Conclusions:

Every day is more frequent to find reports of patients with cardiovascular compromise during COVID-19 affecting the development and prognosis of this disease.
Between culture and industry: re-evaluating the development of the Australian New Eligible Drama Expenditure (NEDE) requirement on Australian pay-TV
Authors: Eklund Oliver
Published: March 2022

In Australia, policies that mandate levels of production and distribution of local television content are shaping factors of the sector. Many of these policies are under review due to the impact of new streaming services. At a time of major overhaul of policies, it is illustrative to return to the development of earlier local content policies in Australia. The development of the 1992 New Eligible Drama Expenditure Requirement (NEDE) on Australian pay-TV reveals the difficult balancing act between cultural and economic rationalisations of cultural policy. Using policy analysis of key historical documents surrounding the NEDE's development, this article charts how decisions over the shape of the policy were constructed in ways that prioritised impacts on industry. In doing so, this article reveals how despite some objectives of the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) aiming to balance culture and the economy, the NEDE was designed with industry at the forefront.
The exercise of authority during interactions in custody hearings in São Paulo (Brazil): Building legitimacy through exclusion
Authors: Gisi Bruna , García-Sánchez Efraín , Novaes Cruz Fernanda , Silvestre Giane , Marques de Jesus Maria Gorete
Published: March 2022

In Brazil, the Custody Hearing is a legal device established in 2015 to safeguard the rights of people arrested in flagrante delicto by the police. In an attempt to prevent the indiscriminate use of preventive detentions in the country, the custody hearings were created for the potential effects that an in-person meeting may have on the flow of the Criminal Justice System. While the recent literature on criminology has produced significant empirical data testing the effects of peoples’ evaluations of procedural justice during court hearings for institutional legitimacy, little is known about what happens during these situations of contact between citizens and judicial actors. Using data from the observation of 138 custody hearings at the largest Criminal Forum in Brazil, we analyzed in this work how interaction procedures and ceremonial resources are employed by judicial actors to exercise authority. By focusing on the quality of decision-making and the interpersonal treatment expressed in procedures, we sought to analyze the effects of the punitive framework for the construction of legitimacy. Our analysis of interactions in custody hearings indicates the existence of a claim to legitimacy which, counter to procedural justice principles, develops through the exclusion of the person subjected to that authority.
When sarees speak: Saree pacts and social media narratives
Authors: Sandhu Arti
Published: March 2022

Through an ethnographic study of online saree pacts and social media groups, this article charts the emergence of digital saree storytelling as women from India and the global South Asian diaspora post stories about their personal and professional lives while also talking about their sarees. The article examines how saree stories are told and consumed in these online spaces, and the role new media plays in encouraging individual and collective self-expression through fashion. In doing so, it highlights how saree pacts allow for alternative models of fashion opinion leadership and style to emerge in ways that are uplifting and empowering for women who are otherwise underrepresented in print and popular fashion media. It argues that such sites are critical spaces shifting the narrative around women in the Global South from victimhood to pleasure. Additionally, saree pacts represent a new form of digital community formation centred around the appreciation of traditional fashion, which can alter our perception of the intersection of traditional fashion and feminism while also decolonising fashion's existing Eurocentric frameworks.
The European Standard EN 17398:2020 on Patient Involvement in Health Care – a Fairclough-Inspired Critical Discourse Analysis
Authors: Stjernswärd Sigrid , Glasdam Stinne
Published: March 2022

The concept of ‘patient involvement’ is highlighted in healthcare. However, hindrances can prevent its implementation. This article explored how ‘patient involvement’ is understood and on what ideas this understanding is based through a critical textual analysis of the European document on patient involvement in health systems using a Fairclough-inspired critical discourse analysis. The findings showed that the document arose from a social discourse based on a mix of a neoliberal ideology, with a marketisation of care focusing on a cost-effective and evidence-based logic of care, and a humanistic ideology of patient involvement. It had the form of a normative, consensus-based standard, supported by European organisations. The document incorporated a visionary, well-intentioned abstract guide to promote patient involvement across European care contexts, however without addressing hindrances nor differences across the contexts in which it ought to be implemented. It raises questions about its usability, inviting further research into empirical applications.
Spatially resolved transcriptomics for evaluation of intracranial vessels in a rabbit model: Proof of concept
Authors: Zabriskie Matthew S. , Cooke Daniel L. , Wang Chuanzhuo , Alexander Matthew D.
Published: March 2022

Background

Better understanding of vessel biology and vascular pathophysiology is needed to improve understanding of cerebrovascular disorders. Tissue from diseased vessels can offer the best data. Rabbit models can be effective for studying intracranial vessels, filling gaps resulting from difficulties acquiring human tissue. Spatially-resolved transcriptomics (SRT) in particular hold promise for studying such models as they build on RNA sequencing methods, augmenting such data with histopathology.

Methods

Rabbit brains with intact arteries were flash frozen, cryosectioned, and stained with H&E to confirm adequate inclusion of intracranial vessels before proceeding with tissue optimization and gene expression analysis using the Visium SRT platform. SRT results were analyzed with k-means clustering analysis, and differential gene expression was examined, comparing arteries to veins.

Results

Cryosections were successfully mounted on Visium proprietary slides. Quality control thresholds were met. Optimum permeabilization was determined to be 24 min for the tissue optimization step. In analysis of SRT data, k-means clustering distinguished vascular tissue from parenchyma. When comparing gene expression traits, the most differentially expressed genes were those found in smooth muscle cells. These genes were more commonly expressed in arteries compared to veins.

Conclusions

Intracranial vessels from model rabbits can be processed and analyzed with the Visium SRT platform. Face validity is found in the ability of SRT data to distinguish vessels from parenchymal tissue and differential expression analysis accurately distinguishing arteries from veins. SRT should be considered for future animal model investigations into cerebrovascular diseases.
Advanced MRI in cerebral small vessel disease
Authors: van den Brink Hilde , Doubal Fergus N , Duering Marco
Published: March 2022

Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is a major cause of stroke and dementia. This review summarizes recent developments in advanced neuroimaging of cSVD with a focus on clinical and research applications. In the first section, we highlight how advanced structural imaging techniques, including diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), enable improved detection of tissue damage, including characterization of tissue appearing normal on conventional MRI. These techniques enable progression to be monitored and may be useful as surrogate endpoint in clinical trials. Quantitative MRI, including iron and myelin imaging, provides insights into tissue composition on the molecular level. In the second section, we cover how advanced MRI techniques can demonstrate functional or dynamic abnormalities of the blood vessels, which could be targeted in mechanistic research and early-stage intervention trials. Such techniques include the use of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI to measure blood–brain barrier permeability, and MRI methods to assess cerebrovascular reactivity. In the third section, we discuss how the increased spatial resolution provided by ultrahigh field MRI at 7 T allows imaging of perforating arteries, and flow velocity and pulsatility within them. The advanced MRI techniques we describe are providing novel pathophysiological insights in cSVD and allow improved quantification of disease burden and progression. They have application in clinical trials, both in assessing novel therapeutic mechanisms, and as a sensitive endpoint to assess efficacy of interventions on parenchymal tissue damage. We also discuss challenges of these advanced techniques and suggest future directions for research.
Comment: Old Wine in New Bags—Suri and Gross's Connectionist Theory of Emotion is Another Type of Network Theory
Authors: Moors Agnes
Published: March 2022

Suri and Gross's 2022 connectionist emotion theory can be considered as one version of a family of theories known as network theories of emotion. It presents similarities and differences with older versions of network theories. Like previous network theories and several other traditional emotion theories, however, the connectionist theory remains a reactive theory. The class of reactive theories can be meaningfully contrasted with a class of instrumental theories of which the goal-directed theory is a representative example. Although the latter theory does not deny the existence of emotion networks in memory, it does not grant them many causal powers, thereby seriously restricting their explanatory territory. Future research efforts may help disambiguate between both classes of theories.
Researching in tabooed phenomena: A discussion of method, theory, and ethics
Authors: Christensen Gerd
Published: March 2022

The aim of this article is to discuss how to research into phenomena that no one wants to talk about: silenced and tabooed phenomena. With the outset in data culled in two research projects concerning student’s conceptualization of small group learning, the article discusses methodology, theory, and ethics in researching into silenced and tabooed phenomena of in educational settings. The article is theoretical inspired by the Israeli sociologist Evitar Zerubavel, the French philosopher Michel Foucault and the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben.
Healthcare and social needs of international migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America: analysis of the Chilean case
Authors: Blukacz Alice , Cabieses Báltica , Mezones-Holguín Edward , Cardona Arias José Manuel
Published: March 2022

International migrants are a particularly vulnerable group in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Immigrants in Chile tend to experience multidimensional poverty and layers of social vulnerability. Our analysis aims to describe the perceived social and health-related needs of international migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile in terms of migration as a social determinant of health and layered social vulnerability. We carried out a qualitative analysis of responses to an open-ended question focused on the social and health-related needs linked to the pandemic included in an online questionnaire disseminated during April 2020 aimed at international migrants residing in Chile. The information gathered was thematically analysed. We included 1690 participants. They expressed needs related to health and others linked to the overall socio-economic and political response, employment, material conditions and psychosocial aspects. They also reported needs related to ‘being a migrant’. Additionally, some participants described situations of vulnerability. We analysed their needs and situations of vulnerability identified around the following emerging frames: (a) work and living conditions, (b) regularisation traps and perceived lack of support and (c) and physical and mental health needs. International migrants in Chile report experiencing interrelated layers of social vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic, where ‘being a migrant’ exacerbates physical and mental health risks. The issues revealed are immediate and direct public health challenges, as well as different aspects of social vulnerability linked to migratory status, employment and barriers to accessing healthcare that should be addressed through comprehensive policies and measures.