bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of the modern management approach for locally advanced (T3–T4) laryngeal cancer: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Rajgor Amarkumar Dhirajlal , Cowley Josh , Gillespie Colin , Lee Chang Woo , O'Hara James , Iqbal Muhammad Shahid , Hamilton David Winston
Published: October 2024

Background

Our centre (Freeman Hospital, Newcatle Upon Tyne NHS Trust) has favoured primary surgery over chemoradiotherapy for specific advanced laryngeal cancer patients (e.g. large-volume tumours, airway compromise, significant dysphagia, T4 disease). This study reports the survival outcomes for a modern, high-volume head and neck centre favouring surgical management to determine whether this approach improves survival.

Method

Retrospective analysis of patient data over a seven-year period from a tertiary cancer centre.

Results

In total, 121 patients were identified with T3 (n = 76) or T4 (n = 45) laryngeal cancer (mean follow up 2.9 years). In the cohort treated with curative intent (n = 104, 86.0 per cent), the 2- and 5-year estimated disease-specific survival rates were 77.9 and 64.1 per cent. chemoradiotherapy had the highest 2-year disease-specific survival (92.5 per cent), followed by surgery with adjuvant therapy (81.8 per cent), radiotherapy alone (75 per cent) and surgery alone (72.4 per cent).

Conclusion

For a centre favouring primary surgery for certain advanced laryngeal cancers, the disease-specific survival appears no higher than that found in the published literature. To enhance survival, future research should focus on precision medicine to define treatment pathways in this disease.
Prognostic factors in post-Covid-19 acute invasive fungal sinusitis
Authors: Abdelmeguid Ahmed Salama , El-Okda Mohamed Mohamed Abdel-Fattah , Abozaid Menna Allah Mostafa , Ebada Hisham Atef
Published: October 2024

Objectives

The aim of this study is to identify the prognostic factors that may have an effect on the outcome of post-coronavirus disease 2019 acute invasive fungal sinusitis in order to help optimise diagnosis and management.

Methods

This retrospective study involved 60 patients with post-coronavirus disease 2019 acute invasive fungal sinusitis. We identified and studied several factors that may have an effect on the prognosis. These factors included patient-related factors, disease-related factors, and treatment-related factors.

Results

Comorbidities especially renal impairment, previous intensive care unit admission, skin involvement, and intracranial spread of infection are associated with significantly poorer outcomes. Early aggressive surgical debridement is an independent factor associated with better prognosis.

Conclusion

Identifying prognostic factors may have a role in prevention of invasive fungal sinusitis, predicting prognosis, and tailoring patient-specific treatment protocols.
Promoting the advancement of otology and audiology: a history of the Thomas Wickham-Jones (TWJ) Foundation
Authors: Wickham-Jones M , Bailey M
Published: October 2024

Objectives:

For 50 years, the Thomas Wickham-Jones (TWJ) Foundation has promoted the advancement of otology and audiology in the UK and Republic of Ireland through a series of overseas Fellowships and other grants.

Methods:

The paper examines the history of the Foundation since its establishment in 1974, drawing upon the Foundation's archives and personal recollections. The analysis is located within a framework concerning the factors that shape the success or failure of a foundation including vision, strategy, information, leadership and finance.

Results:

The activities of the TWJ Foundation are charted over five decades, and the governance of the Foundation is detailed. Particular attention is given to the Major Fellowships offered, at first in North America, and to their subsequent development into the Foundation's current rotation.

Conclusion:

The paper offers an assessment of the TWJ Foundation's impact on the training of otologists in the British Isles and concludes with a brief self-reflective analysis.
Sex differences in donor-site morbidity after microvascular free tissue head and neck reconstruction
Authors: Teitelbaum Jordan I. , Choi David D. , Moreno Kattia F. , Tabangin Meredith E. , Patil Yash J.
Published: October 2024

Background

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether sex plays a role in donor-site dysfunction after head and neck reconstruction.

Methods

In this retrospective case series, 76 patients were assessed for donor-site morbidity using the Short Form 36, Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment, disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand, and lower-limb core scale. Differences by sex were compared using t-tests. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to adjust for potential confounders.

Results

Females observed significantly greater disability for the SF-36 mental component summary score with a mean of 45.9 (standard deviation 10.5) compared to males, with a mean of 51.8 (standard deviation 10.2), p = 0.02. Sex is significantly related to SF-36 mental component summary score after controlling for neuropsychiatric disease and tracheostomy status.

Conclusion

Females reported significantly worse mental component scores compared to males undergoing free flap reconstruction of the head and neck.
Congenital hearing loss: introduction of the R67 large gene panel in England
Authors: Fazili Ahmed , Blanchford Hannah , Tsioulos Kostas
Published: October 2024

Background

Congenital hearing loss is a chronic condition which occurs worldwide. In the past, investigations focused on testing the most common genes associated with hearing loss (such as Connexin 26-related hearing loss). Targeted testing of specific genes was requested only when a particular syndrome was suspected. Recent advances have led to the development of a large gene panel which utilises next-generation sequencing to simultaneously test for pathogenic variants in many genes associated with hearing loss.

Aim

This review article aims to highlight the changes in the approach to congenital hearing loss in the context of the R67 gene panel, and how its use may increase the efficiency of the diagnosis and management of this condition.

Conclusion

The use of this large gene panel has revolutionised the approach to hearing loss. Uptake of this large gene panel has resulted in prompter diagnosis and therefore more appropriate clinical management.
Paediatric temporal bone fractures: a single centre experience
Authors: Algouneh Arash , Madou Edward , Gandhi Karan , Paradis Josee , Graham M. Elise , Strychowsky Julie , Husein Murad , You Peng
Published: October 2024

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes of paediatric temporal bone fractures at our institute.

Methods:

A retrospective study of paediatric skull fractures confirmed by imaging from January 2010 to December 2022. Data on demographics, clinical presentations, injury mechanisms and complications were analysed, and fractures were categorised into otic capsule sparing (OCS) and violating (OCV).

Results:

Of 369 skull fracture cases, 88 (24 per cent) involved temporal bones, predominantly caused by falls and vehicle accidents. Common symptoms were loss of consciousness, hematoma, and hemotympanum, with complications like facial nerve injury and cerebrospinal fluid leaks in 3.4 per cent of cases. OCV fractures led to more severe complications, including hearing loss. Audiology showed 65 per cent without hearing impairment, while others had various degrees of loss.

Conclusion:

Paediatric temporal bone fractures, particularly OCV types, pose significant challenges. Early detection and thorough management are vital, underscoring the need for consistent data collection and regular audiometric monitoring.
Tiger shikars: The Wodeyars’ construction of a Rajput identity through sport
Authors: Abraham Tresa
Published: October 2024

This article explores the practice of the sport of tiger hunting among the Wodeyars, the maharajas of Mysore, through an examination of art, archival records, state gazetteers, and a tour diary of Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. It argues that the Wodeyars only adopted the sport as an expression of kingship in the late nineteenth century, under British influence. This, I posit, was part of their larger attempt to align their kingship to more popular Indian modes, specifically the Rajputs. By reading accounts of the sport in Krishnaraja Wodeyar’s tour diary, along with examining the Wodeyars’ attempts at forging kinship relations with the Rajputs, the article demonstrates how the sport became crucial to the Wodeyars’ assertion of a Rajput identity and to attempts to obtain a higher position in the princely hierarchy of the colonial period. The recognition that the success of tiger hunts was significant to Rajput kingship and identity, along with rising concern over the diminishing tiger population, led the Wodeyars to enclose forests, establish private hunting preserves and a shikar department, and classify tiger as game in an attempt to improve the sport and make it exclusive.
Muriqui House: conservation management to support the recovery of the northern muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus in Ibitipoca, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Authors: de Melo Fabiano R. , Tabacow Fernanda P. , Pereira Priscila Maria , Nery Marcello S. , Moreira Leandro S. , Teixeira Érika Procópio Tostes , Simonini-Teixeira Danilo , Valença-Montenegro Mônica , Strier Karen B. , Jerusalinsky Leandro
Published: October 2024

Ensuring the demographic and genetic viability of small populations of threatened primates requires a range of management approaches. Here we describe a novel mixed in situ and ex situ management project that was developed to restore a population of the Critically Endangered northern muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus. This isolated population, located in Ibitipoca, Lima Duarte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, had declined to two adult males and would have gone extinct without intervention. A first attempt at in situ management in 2017 involved the translocation of a solitary female from another region, but this female did not associate or interact with the males and disappeared after 9 months. We thus initiated a second and ongoing ex situ management project that involved constructing a complex consisting of a large, open-air enclosure abutting a small patch of forest surrounded by an open area in the process of restoration, all of which is protected by electric fencing. The entire area within the fencing is called Muriqui House. The two Ibitipoca males and two solitary, wild females from another location were captured and released into the enclosed part of Muriqui House between March 2019 and January 2020 and into the forested part of Muriqui House in February 2020. The birth of an infant in this group in November 2020 and the acceptance by the group of a third female translocated from another area in January 2021 demonstrate the potential of this approach for the recovery of this isolated population, with positive implications for the conservation of the species.
A multi-scale, multivariate habitat selection model demonstrates high potential for the reintroduction of the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa to Taiwan
Authors: Wang Yifeng , Kaszta Żaneta , Cushman Samuel A , Chiang Po-Jen , Macdonald David W , Hearn Andrew J
Published: October 2024

Hunting, habitat loss and fragmentation have caused a rapid decline in the distribution and abundance of the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa across its range, and in several areas, including Taiwan, the species is now extirpated. Taiwan, a former stronghold for the species, is a candidate for its reintroduction, based on increasing prey abundance and high forest coverage. Such future reintroduction efforts, however, are hampered by a lack of analysis of potential clouded leopard habitat on the island. To address this, we explore habitat suitability for the species in Taiwan. We used a multi-scale, multivariate habitat selection model based on clouded leopard presence–absence data from extensive camera-trap surveys across its current range to predict suitable habitat in Taiwan. Our findings indicate that 38% of Taiwanese territory is potentially suitable habitat for the clouded leopard, of which 46% is under protection. This demonstrates the high potential of Taiwan's habitat for clouded leopard reintroduction.
Long term mortality trends in people with severe mental illnesses and how COVID-19, ethnicity and other chronic mental health comorbidities contributed: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Das-Munshi Jayati , Bakolis Ioannis , Bécares Laia , Dasch Hannah K. , Dyer Jacqui , Hotopf Matthew , Hildersley Rosie , Ocloo Josephine , Stewart Robert , Stuart Ruth , Dregan Alex
Published: October 2024

Background

People with schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar disorders (severe mental illnesses; ‘SMI’) experience excess mortality. Our aim was to explore longer-term trends in mortality, including the COVID-19 pandemic period, with a focus on additional vulnerabilities (psychiatric comorbidities and race/ ethnicity) in SMI.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from secondary mental healthcare, covering a UK region of 1.3 million people. Mortality trends spanning fourteen years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, were assessed in adults with clinician-ascribed ICD-10 diagnoses for schizophrenia-spectrum and bipolar disorders.

Results

The sample comprised 22 361 people with SMI with median follow-up of 10.6 years. Standardized mortality ratios were more than double the population average pre-pandemic, increasing further during the pandemic, particularly in those with SMI and psychiatric comorbidities. Mortality risk increased steadily among people with SMI and comorbid depression, dementia, substance use disorders and anxiety over 13-years, increasing further during the pandemic. COVID-19 mortality was elevated in people with SMI and comorbid depression (sub-Hazard Ratio: 1.48 [95% CI 1.03–2.13]), dementia (sHR:1.96, 1.26–3.04) and learning disabilities (sHR:2.30, 1.30–4.06), compared to people with only SMI. COVID-19 mortality risk was similar for minority ethnic groups and White British people with SMI. Elevated all-cause mortality was evident in Black Caribbean (adjusted Rate Ratio: 1.40, 1.11–1.77) and Black African people with SMI (aRR: 1.59, 1.07–2.37) during the pandemic relative to earlier years.

Conclusions

Mortality has increased over time in people with SMI. The pandemic exacerbated pre-existing trends. Actionable solutions are needed which address wider social determinants and address disease silos.
CONTEXTUAL REANALYSIS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL FORM AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE PANAGIA HOUSES AT MYCENAE
Authors: Zeman Piotr
Published: October 2024

The Panagia Houses, one of the building complexes at Mycenae, located to the south-west of the Citadel, were interpreted by the excavators as a group of three independent units. They were constructed and occupied during the Late Helladic (LH) IIIB phase, with two main phases distinguishable in the archaeological record, followed by a reoccupation phase. Careful analysis of the archaeological data published by Mylonas-Shear, which focused on the arrangement of individual units, formality of layout, access and movement patterns, and visibility, suggests that the group should be interpreted rather as a single complex, developed during the period of the maximum expansion of the settlement. The building was gradually expanded to form an extended household, with primary living space surrounded by a number of additional rooms for storage, work and habitation. It was composed of a rectangular main unit, surrounded by an extension formed around a small inner courtyard. The movement between the two levels was organised through a system of connected rooftops, with trapdoors and staircases ensuring access to the various rooms of the complex. During the LH IIIB2 Early phase, Mycenae was hit by a devastating earthquake. Much of the town was left in ruin, but the Panagia Houses were rebuilt, although in a smaller form, with the main unit abandoned and the courtyard inside the extension transformed into the main room of the complex. The status of the complex probably changed, but it was still inhabited by a middle-class family, who possessed a number of valuables and took part in the palatial mobilisation system. The household probably suffered in a widespread fire which destroyed Mycenae at the end of LH IIIB. Its remains were then used as two small dwellings by the survivors of the catastrophe. The history of the complex reflects the changing vicissitudes of the Lower Town of Mycenae.
ERP neural correlates of the interpreter advantage in coordination for interpreting students
Authors: Zhong Fei , Dong Yanping
Published: October 2024

The task of interpreting requires managing multiple tasks simultaneously, but how this practice of multitasking may contribute to the nonverbal domain of executive functioning has been explored in only a few studies, and little is known about the Event-related Potentials (ERP) neural correlates of this potential advantage. To fill this gap, we conducted an ERP study asking consecutive interpreting students and bilingual controls to perform a psychological refractory period (PRP) dual-task, comprising an auditory (Task 1) and a visual (Task 2) discrimination task. They were performed separately or together, the performance differences between which, i.e., dual-task costs, served as indices of coordination. Smaller costs for interpreting students in either or both tasks are considered an interpreter advantage in coordination, and those confined to Task 2 further indicate an advantage in bottleneck switching. The latter was exactly observed in stimulus-locked lateralized readiness potential (LRP) onset latency, suggesting such an advantage was probably due to efficient switching from the response selection of one task to that of the other at the bottleneck stage of dual-task processing. Smaller dual-task costs of stimulus-locked LRP onset latency thus constitute the neural correlates of the interpreter advantage in coordination.
A novel mobile robot with origami wheels designed for navigating sandy terrains
Authors: Hu Junfeng , Shu Shen , Han Weitao
Published: October 2024

Sand robots play a vital role as mobile tools for human exploration of desert regions, facilitating resource transportation and exploration. However, desert areas primarily consist of beaches or dunes, resulting in a highly diverse and complex terrain environment that demands enhanced adaptability from sandy mobile robots. Traditional wheeled robots currently face challenges such as skidding, limited climbing ability, and inadequate obstacle avoidance capabilities in sandy environments. To address these issues and enable effective adaptation to the intricate sand environment, we propose a novel sandy mobile robot equipped with Kresling origami wheels. The origami wheel can dynamically adjust its width and morphology through Kresling origami folding. Experimental tests were conducted to illustrate the impact of width variation on the robot’s mobility velocity, propulsive force, climbing performance, and carrying capacity. The self-folding malleability of the origami wheel empowers the robot to efficiently accomplish diverse tasks, including swift movement on flat sand surfaces, seamless crossing of narrow channels, and intelligent obstacle avoidance. By successfully completing these multimodal tasks while adapting to varying requirements, our robot demonstrates promising prospects for practical applications of mobile robots equipped with origami wheels – paving the way for wider adaptation and utilization of sand mobile robots.
A study of the Ganea conjecture for topological complexity by using weak topological complexity
Authors: GARCIA-CALCINES J. M. , VANDEMBROUCQ L.
Published: October 2024

In this paper, we provide sufficient conditions for a space X to satisfy the Ganea conjecture for topological complexity. To achieve this, we employ two auxiliary invariants: weak topological complexity in the sense of Berstein–Hilton, along with a certain stable version of it. Several examples are discussed.
Discrepancy bounds for the distribution of L-functions near the critical line
Authors: LEE YOONBOK
Published: October 2024

We investigate the joint distribution of L-functions on the line
$ \sigma= {1}/{2} + {1}/{G(T)}$
and
$ t \in [ T, 2T]$
, where
$ \log \log T \leq G(T) \leq { \log T}/{ ( \log \log T)^2 } $
. We obtain an upper bound on the discrepancy between the joint distribution of L-functions and that of their random models. As an application we prove an asymptotic expansion of a multi-dimensional version of Selberg’s central limit theorem for L-functions on
$ \sigma= 1/2 + 1/{G(T)}$
and
$ t \in [ T, 2T]$
, where
$ ( \log T)^\varepsilon \leq G(T) \leq { \log T}/{ ( \log \log T)^{2+\varepsilon } } $
for
$ \varepsilon > 0$
.
Crystal structure of racemic benserazide hydrochloride Form I, C10H16N3O5Cl
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Dosen Anja , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: October 2024

The crystal structure of benserazide hydrochloride Form I has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data and optimized using density functional theory techniques. Benserazide hydrochloride Form I crystallizes in space group P21/n (#14) with a = 19.22983(15), b = 14.45066(10), c = 4.57982(2) Å, β = 93.6935(3), V = 1270.014(15) Å3, and Z = 4 at 295 K. The crystal structure contains pairs of hydrogen-bonded benserazide cations, which are hydrogen bonded to chloride anions, resulting in chains along the c-axis. In addition, O–H⋯Cl, N–H⋯O, O–H⋯N, and O–H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the cations and anions into a three-dimensional framework. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD® for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™ (PDF®).
Automatic differentiation for ML-family languages: Correctness via logical relations
Authors: Lucatelli Nunes Fernando , Vákár Matthijs
Published: October 2024

We give a simple, direct, and reusable logical relations technique for languages with term and type recursion and partially defined differentiable functions. We demonstrate it by working out the case of automatic differentiation (AD) correctness: namely, we present a correctness proof of a dual numbers style AD code transformation for realistic functional languages in the ML-family. We also show how this code transformation provides us with correct forward- and reverse-mode AD.

The starting point is to interpret a functional programming language as a suitable freely generated categorical structure. In this setting, by the universal property of the syntactic categorical structure, the dual numbers AD code transformation and the basic
$\boldsymbol{\omega } \mathbf{Cpo}$
-semantics arise as structure preserving functors. The proof follows, then, by a novel logical relations argument.

The key to much of our contribution is a powerful monadic logical relations technique for term recursion and recursive types. It provides us with a semantic correctness proof based on a simple approach for denotational semantics, making use only of the very basic concrete model of
$\omega$
-cpos.
Short- and medium-term longitudinal outcomes of children diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children - report from a single centre in Pakistan
Authors: Abbas Qalab , Shahbaz Fatima , Amjad Fatima , Khalid Farah , Aslam Nadeem , Mohsin Shazia
Published: October 2024

Objective:

To determine the short- and medium-term cardiac outcomes in children admitted with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children at a tertiary care centre in Pakistan.

Methods:

Children fulfilling the criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome and admitted to the hospital between April 2020 and March 2022 were enrolled in this prospective longitudinal cohort study. From admission to discharge, laboratory and cardiac parameters were recorded for all patients, who were subsequently followed up in clinics at various intervals. Data analysis was conducted using STATA version 15.0.

Results:

A total of 51 children were included, with viral myocarditis (41.2%) and toxic shock syndrome (33.3%) being the most common phenotypes. The cardiovascular system was most commonly affected in 27 children (53%) with laboratory evidence of inflammation and myocardial injury with median and interquartile levels of ferritin 1169 (534-1704), C-reactive protein 83 (24-175), lactate dehydrogenase 468 (365-1270), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide 8,656 (2,538-31,166), and troponin 0.16 (0.02-2.0).

On admission, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction was observed in 58.8% of patients and impaired global longitudinal strain in 33.3%. At discharge, left ventricular ejection fraction had normalised in 83% of patients. Pericardial effusion resolved in all patients, and valvulitis resolved in 86% by 12 months. Paediatric ICU admission was required in 42 (82%) of patients with an overall mortality of 12% (n = 6).

Conclusion:

Our study finds high hospital mortality for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children compared to 1-2% from previous studies. Yet, in Pakistan, surviving children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome show favourable short- to medium-term cardiac outcomes
Psychiatric co-morbidities and feasibility of an online psychiatric screening measure in children and adolescents with the Fontan circulation
Authors: Lau-Jensen Sara H. , Hejl Julie L. , Thorup Lene , Lauritsen Marlene B. , Rask Charlotte U. , Hjortdal Vibeke E.
Published: October 2024

Background:

Guidelines recommend screening for psychiatric co-morbidities in patients with congenital heart defects alongside cardiac outpatient follow-ups. These recommendations are not implemented in Denmark. This study aimed to investigate the psychiatric co-morbidities in children and adolescents with Fontan circulation in Denmark and to evaluate the feasibility of an online screening measure for psychiatric disorders.

Methods:

Children, adolescents, and their families answered the Development and Well-Being Assessment questionnaire and a questionnaire about received help online. Development and Well-Being Assessment ratings present psychiatric diagnoses in accordance with ICD-10 and DSM-5. Parent-reported received psychiatric help is also presented. Feasibility data are reported as participation rate (completed Development and Well-Being Assessments) and parental/adolescent acceptability from the feasibility questionnaire.

Results:

The participation rate was 27%. Of the participating children and adolescents, 53% (ICD-10)/59% (DSM-5) met full diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric diagnosis. Of these, 50% had not received any psychiatric or psychological help. Only 12% of participants had an a priori psychiatric diagnosis.

Conclusions:

We found that a large proportion of children and adolescents with Fontan circulation are underdiagnosed and undertreated for psychiatric disorders. The results from our study emphasise the need for psychiatric screening in this patient group. Development and Well-Being Assessment may be too comprehensive for online electronic screening in children and adolescents with CHD.
Analysis of risk factors for prolonged stay in the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery in children with pneumonia
Authors: Ding Nan , Li Zhiqiang , Guo Jian , Li Xiaofeng , Yi Hanlu , Shen Lei
Published: October 2024

Aim:

Preoperative pneumonia in children with CHD may lead to longer stays in the ICU after surgery. However, research on the associated risk factors is limited. This study aims to evaluate the pre-, intra-, and postoperative risk factors contributing to extended ICU stays in these children.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study collected data from 496 children with CHD complicated by preoperative pneumonia who underwent cardiac surgery following medical treatment at a single centre from 2017 to 2022. We compared the clinical outcomes of patients with varying ICU stays and utilised multivariate logistic regression analysis and multiple linear regression analyses to evaluate the risk factors for prolonged ICU stays.

Results:

The median ICU stay for the 496 children was 7 days. Bacterial infection, severe pneumonia, and Risk Adjustment for Congenital Heart Surgery-1 were independent risk factors for prolonged ICU stays following cardiac surgery (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

CHD complicated by pneumonia presents a significant treatment challenge. Better identification of the risk factors associated with long-term postoperative ICU stays in these children, along with timely diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infections in high-risk populations, can effectively reduce ICU stays and improve resource utilisation.
Mutual aid food sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic: case study of Tompkins County, NY
Authors: Hanson Karla L , Coupal Sarah , Grace Emily , Jesch Elizabeth , Lockhart Sonja , Volpe Leah C
Published: October 2024

Objective:

The COVID-19 pandemic led to greater food insecurity across the world, and government and charitable organisations did not always respond quickly enough or adequately to meet food needs. Mutual aid (MA) – neighbours helping neighbours to meet survival needs – mobilised residents to share food, often through outdoor food cabinets and refrigerators. This study aims to understand how MA food sharing was implemented, including food availability, acceptability, accessibility and impact on food access.

Design:

This case study describes one MA food sharing system by triangulating data from flyers, notes from nineteen volunteer meetings, six cabinet host interviews, data extracted from 1387 social media posts and 356 photographs, and 111 resident surveys.

Setting:

Tompkins County, NY, USA (total population about 100 000).

Results:

We estimated high availability of food: approximately 250 000 food servings were shared monthly, mostly carbohydrates. Most residents obtaining food found it acceptable, including satisfaction with food safety and cleanliness, food quantity, and ease of travel to the cabinets but were less satisfied with food variety. MA food sharing was accessible to food-insecure, unemployed and disabled residents, but not other priority populations. About two-thirds of residents reported improved food access. Volunteers exhibited tenacity and ingenuity in meeting operational challenges which included trash and vandalism, winter weather and unusable food contributions while foregrounding residents’ safety and privacy as shared values and navigating conflicting views about fairness.

Conclusions:

In times of crisis, MA can improve food access through free food sharing cabinets, but barriers include unacceptable food contributions and outdoor conditions.
Identification of morphological and variety diagnostic molecular markers for commercial varieties of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.)
Authors: Moothandassery Shaju Krishna , Illathidath Payatatti Vijesh Kumar , Koryampallil Vijayan Saji , Neettiyath Kalathil Leela , Vettathukattil Abdul Gafoor Muhammed Nissar , Jagadamma Rema , Thotten Elampilay Sheeja
Published: October 2024

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt; family: Myristicaceae) is an important tree spice of great export value due to the presence of secondary metabolites with scope in health, wellness and cosmetic industries. Its dioecious in nature due to which it is propagated by budding and grafting which requires specialised skill and as a result authentic planting material production is very expensive. Based on the constant demand from farmers and stakeholders for a suitable, fast and easy technique for determining the authenticity of nutmeg varieties, an attempt was made to develop morphological and molecular markers for the identification of three commercial varieties that are in high demand in India; viz. IISR Vishwashree, IISR Keralashree, Sindhushree and a monoecious nutmeg (MN) accession, along with their biochemical profiles. Among the various morphological characters as per distinctiveness, uniformity and stability guidelines, the varieties showed distinctness mainly in leaf shape, shape of female flowers, fruit shape and seed shape. Out of 35 ISSR primers screened, six primers viz., IS 02, ISSR 12, ISSR 05, ISSR 14, ISSR 01 and UBC 834 generated clear, unique reproducible polymorphic bands capable of distinguishing the varieties. Among the varieties analysed, MN was found to be superior in terms of seed butter and essential oil in nut, mace and leaves. IISR Vishwashree was on par with MN in nut essential oil content. IISR Keralashree was superior in terms of oleoresin in nuts and mace. The morphological and molecular markers identified may be used for effective checking of authenticity of planting materials of commercially grown nutmeg varieties.
When Councillors Sexually Harass: Legislative Sanctions and Gender-Based Violence in Canada’s Municipalities
Authors: Raney Tracey , McGregor R. Michael , Anderson Cameron D.
Published: October 2024

Previous research has examined whether voters will punish candidates who engage in sexual harassment in national-level elections, revealing partisanship as a strong predictor of electoral punishment. Using original survey data, we evaluate whether the public supports a broader range of sanctions (e.g. apologies, training, and removal from office) that legislatures can impose upon politicians who perpetrate sexual harassment in Canada’s municipalities, a non-partisan context. In the absence of partisan-based motivated reasoning, we find that women are more likely than men to support the removal from office of a councillor who engages in sexual harassment. Respondents who do not believe that sexism is a problem and are skeptical about claims of gender-based violence are also less likely to support punishment in these cases. These findings have relevance for democratic institutions, revealing that sanctions imposed on politicians who perpetrate sexual harassment can help maintain political accountability and restore public trust.
Mutprobe für Mulle
Authors: Buchwald Anna , Dornseifer Kirsten , Stupp Celia Maimouna , Soares Ted
Published: October 2024

Die Einschulung – ein aufregendes Ereignis, das neben Schultüten und neuen Freundschaften auch Sorgen und Ängste mit sich bringen kann. Zum Glück ist Mulle nicht allein!

Das Erdmännchen Mulle soll heute das erste Mal allein den Schulweg gehen. Unterwegs stößt er mit dem Löwenmädchen Winona zusammen, entdeckt das Elefantenkind Taru hinter einem Baum und wird fast von dem Kaninchen Suki überhoppelt. Die Tierkinder zeigen ihm: Er ist nicht der Einzige, der Angst vor der Schule hat.

Ja, die Einschulung ist aufregend – und das für jedes Kind. Häufig mit so vielen positiven Dingen wie der Schultüte und neuen Freundschaften verbunden, kann dieses einschneidende Ereignis aber auch Sorgen und Ängste mit sich bringen. Wie Kinder mit diesen umgehen können, wird anschaulich und einfühlsam in diesem Buch gezeigt.

Dieses Buch gehört zur Reihe „Psychologische Kinderbücher“ und enthält neben der Geschichte praktische Übungen für Kinder im Vor- und Grundschulalter zwischen 5 und 7 Jahren. Außerdem liefert es wichtige Informationen und Tipps für Eltern und Lehrkräfte zum Umgang mit der sensiblen Phase der Einschulung.
Joe und der große rote Stift
Authors: Hercher Victoria , Rauh Isabella , Schröer Johanna , Weimar Charlotte , Iacono Elisa
Published: October 2024

Kinder mit einer Lese-Rechtschreib-Störung (LRS) leiden häufig unter Stress und Versagensängsten in der Schule. Joes Geschichte zeigt: Er ist damit nicht allein und es gibt wertvolle Unterstützung.

„So ein Mist, schon wieder Diktat-Dienstag“, denkt Joe. Sein Magen verkrampft sich. Er hasst Diktate.

So beginnt die Geschichte von Joe. Immer, wenn Joe versucht, einen Text zu lesen, verdrehen sich die Wörter vor seinen Augen. Und dann ist da auch noch dieser riesige, bedrohliche rote Stift, der ihm ganz viele Recht­schreibfehler anstreicht, doch Joe erkennt einfach nicht, was er falsch macht. Mithilfe seiner Lehrerin lernt Joe, woher diese Schwierigkeiten mit dem Lesen und Schreiben kommen, was man dagegen tun kann und dass er damit nicht allein ist.

Das Kinderbuch „Joe und der große rote Stift“ ist ein Band aus der Reihe „Psychologische Kinderbücher“. Das Buch liefert Kindern im Grund­schul­alter zwischen 6 und 12 Jahren, die von einer Lese-Rechtschreib-Störung betroffen sind, sowie Eltern und Angehörigen wichtige Informationen, praktische Aufgaben und Übungen zum Mitmachen.
Extracting Vegetation Phenology in Heterogeneous Drylands Using LiDAR and Landsat Temporal Decomposition: A Latitudinal Assessment of Waterholes Within the Cooper Creek, Australia
Authors: Henriques Marcelo , McVicar Tim R. , Holland Kate L. , Daly Edoardo
Published: October 2024

Land surface phenology (LSP) is useful to understand patterns of terrestrial ecosystems. Detecting LSP in drylands is more challenging when compared to agricultural and mesic environments due to vegetation heterogeneity, the presence of evergreen and seasonal species, and the dominant role of water (which is often received episodically with variable timing) in determining vegetation growth. In this study, LiDAR‐derived vegetation classes are defined to guide and improve the interpretation of LSP metrics extracted using temporally decomposed Landsat fPAR time series. This method was applied to waterholes within the Cooper Creek floodplain, in dryland Australia, which are important for ecological conservation. Results showed that phenology is mostly associated with the recurrent vegetation (approximately 80% of all identified phenological events) in all waterholes. However, during high streamflow periods, the number of phenological events associated with the persistent vegetation greatly increased (up to 40% of the identified events). Non‐annual phenology was also identified, with more than one phenological event occurring across a water year during high streamflow periods. The duration of the phenological events of the persistent vegetation exceeded one water year during periods of high streamflow. Phenological differences of the LiDAR‐derived vegetation classes occupying the riparian zone of the waterholes were also identified. Streamflow movement across the floodplain exerts an important influence on the vegetation phenology, as suggested by a lag in the phenology when comparing southern and northern waterholes. The method developed herein can be applied to other highly spatially heterogeneous ecosystems where vegetation species simultaneously present permanent and seasonal patterns.
Uncovering the Dynamic Drivers of Floods Through Interpretable Deep Learning
Authors: Xu Yuanhao , Lin Kairong , Hu Caihong , Chen Xiaohong , Zhang Jingwen , Xiao Mingzhong , Xu Chong‐Yu
Published: October 2024

The formation of floods, as a complex physical process, exhibits dynamic changes in its driving factors over time and space under climate change. Due to the black‐box nature of deep learning, its use alone does not enhance understanding of hydrological processes. The challenge lies in employing deep learning to uncover new knowledge on flood formation mechanism. This study proposes an interpretable framework for deep learning flood modeling that employs interpretability techniques to elucidate the inner workings of a peak‐sensitive Informer, revealing the dynamic response of floods to driving factors in 482 watersheds across the United States. Accurate simulation is a prerequisite for interpretability techniques to provide reliable information. The study reveals that comparing the Informer with Transformer and LSTM, the former showed superior performance in peak flood simulation (Nash‐Sutcliffe Efficiency over 0.6 in 70% of watersheds). By interpreting Informer's decision‐making process, three primary flood‐inducing patterns were identified: Precipitation, excess soil water, and snowmelt. The controlling effect of dominant factors is regional, and their impact on floods in time steps shows significant differences, challenging the traditional understanding that variables closer to the timing of flood event occurrence have a greater impact. Over 40% of watersheds exhibited shifts in dominant driving factors between 1981 and 2020, with precipitation‐dominated watersheds undergoing more significant changes, corroborating climate change responses. Additionally, the study unveils the interplay and dynamic shifts among variables. These findings suggest that interpretable deep learning, through reverse deduction, transforms data‐driven models from merely fitting nonlinear relationships to effective tools for enhancing understanding of hydrological characteristics.
Using Extensive Core‐Reflected Phases to Constrain Sharp Inner Core Boundary Beneath East Asia
Authors: Zhang Haodong , Cui Tianyu , Ai Yinshuang
Published: October 2024

The physical properties of the Earth's inner core boundary (ICB) are crucial for understanding inner core growth and geodynamo generation. In this study, we analyze the differential travel time residuals (DTTRs) and waveform similarities of the core‐reflected phases (PKiKP and PcP) to investigate fine‐scale seismic structures of the ICB. To study the ICB beneath East Asia, we collect a total of 4,272 PKiKP and PcP phase pairs from 37 earthquakes occurring from January 2009 to December 2018 recorded by permanent stations in the Chinese Digital Seismic Network (CDSN). This extensive PKiKP dataset allows for a geographically continuous depiction of the ICB beneath East Asia, revealing a diverse scope on its topography and sharpness. There are three main findings in our study. First, we collect a comprehensive PKiKP and PcP dataset with extensive ray coverage across East Asia. Numerous weak precritical PKiKP signals are detected, enabling robust constraints on the ICB across wide regions. Second, the PKiKP‐PcP DTTRs exhibit an average offset of −0.25 s (ranging from −1.5 to 1.0 s) relative to the PREM model, suggesting the outer core is approximately 1.3 km thinner than predicted by the PREM model, although it remains largely consistent with it. Third, the bin‐stacked PKiKP and PcP waveforms show high similarity across most sampled areas, indicating that the ICB thickness is no more than 2 km mostly beneath East Asia, which aligns with the hypothesis of a rapid transition from the solid inner core to the liquid outer core in our study region.
Deflected Mantle Flow and Shearing‐Aligned Lithospheric Melt Under the Strike‐Slip Dead Sea Rift
Authors: Xu Huikai , Yu Youqiang , Xi Jiaji
Published: October 2024

Continental rifting is one of the fundamental tectonics of the Earth evolution while our current understandings on the dynamic mechanism of the strike‐slip ones are relatively limited. Here, we have utilized three kinds of core‐refracted shear waves (including PKS, SKKS, and SKS) and employed the shear‐wave splitting technique to systematically investigate the azimuthal anisotropy of the upper mantle under the typical strike‐slip Dead Sea rift. There are a total of 1,855 well‐determined anisotropic measurements from 187 stations with dominantly N‐S fast orientations. We have proposed a new model from a joint analysis of multiple newly available geophysical observations to interpret the resulting anisotropy as mainly due to the absolute‐plate‐motion‐driven mantle flow deflected by the thick lithosphere of the eastern Arabian plate. Relatively larger splitting times are locally revealed at the rift zone and attributed to additional lithospheric anisotropy from the shearing‐oriented melt pockets whose existence further induces complex anisotropy with slight difference of fast orientations between the upper and lower layer anisotropy. The overall rift‐parallel fast orientations, when combined with the absence of low‐velocity and hot thermal anomalies in the mantle transition zone, rule out the role of mantle plume or edge‐driven convection in the rift development and further infer the Dead Sea rift to evolve in a passive mode.
Quantifying the Role of Silicate and Dissolved Nitrogen in Co‐Limiting the Primary and Secondary Productivity of the Bay of Bengal Euphotic Zone
Authors: Bhavani Inakonda Veera Ganga , Hamza Faseela , Smitha B. R. , Valsala Vinu
Published: October 2024

A single‐column coupled physical and biological model based on the North Pacific Ecosystem Model for Understanding Regional Oceanography (NEMURO) with nitrogen and silicon cycles is adapted for the Bay of Bengal (BoB) environment. The model simulated plankton biomass and nutrients along the track of Bio‐Argos over East and West BoB (from 2016 to 2017) are validated with the observations. The model reasonably simulates the perennial structure of subsurface chlorophyll maximum (SCM). Further, three experiments are carried out to know the limitations in primary and secondary production in terms of nitrogen (NO3 + NH4) and silicate (Si(OH)4) in the open ocean BoB. In a “no‐NO3”experiment, the nitrate limiting term [that is, NO3/(NO3 + KNO3)] is set to zero so that the difference from the control case gives the role of “regenerated production” in the total primary and secondary production. Similarly, a no‐NH4 experiment was conducted to infer the role of “new production.” The new (regenerated) production fuels 85 ± 1% (28 ± 6%) of the living biomass in the East part of open ocean BoB (East BoB). The corresponding values for the west part (West BoB) are 86 ± 1% (42 ± 2%). Among the primary producers, the new (regenerated) production contributed 72 ± 1% (24 ± 6%) in the East BoB and 74 ± 1% (37 ± 2%) in the West BoB. The silicate limits the diatom production by 46% ± 22% (45% ± 27%) of the actual amount of diatom in the East BoB (West BoB) diatom. Surface to 60 m depth, we observed severe nitrate limitation over East BoB and equal limitation of nitrate and silicate over West BoB from June to September; the remaining months suffered from moderate nitrate limitation in both regions. This study shows that nitrate appears to be a limiting nutrient compared to silicate at the surface of both East and West BoB. Since silicicline is deeper than nitracline, silicate is the potential limiting nutrient in BoB from 65 to 105 m depth in all seasons.
Npbwr1 signaling mediates fast antidepressant action
Authors: Stein Gregor , Aly Janine S. , Lange Lisa , Manzolillo Annamaria , Riege Konstantin , Brancato Anna , Hübner Christian A. , Turecki Gustavo , Hoffmann Steve , Engmann Olivia
Published: October 2024

Chronic stress is a major risk factor for depression, a leading cause of disability and suicide. Because current antidepressants work slowly, have common side effects, and are only effective in a minority of patients, there is an unmet need to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we identify the receptor for neuropeptides B and W, Npbwr1, as a key regulator of depressive-like symptoms. Npbwr1 is increased in the nucleus accumbens of chronically stressed mice and postmortem in patients diagnosed with depression. Using viral-mediated gene transfer, we demonstrate a causal link between Npbwr1, dendritic spine morphology, the biomarker Bdnf, and depressive-like behaviors. Importantly, microinjection of the synthetic antagonist of Npbwr1, CYM50769, rapidly ameliorates depressive-like behavioral symptoms and alters Bdnf levels. CYM50769 is selective, well tolerated, and shows effects up to 7 days after administration of a single dose. In summary, these findings advance our understanding of mood and chronic stress and warrant further investigation of CYM50769 as a potential fast-acting antidepressant.
Emerging roles of noncoding RNAs in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Wang Haitao , Sun Kai , Peng Hao , Wang Yi , Zhang Lei
Published: October 2024

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, fibrotic lung disease with limited treatment options and efficacy. Evidence suggests that IPF arises from genetic, environmental, and aging-related factors. The pathogenic mechanisms of IPF primarily involve dysregulated repeated microinjuries to epithelial cells, abnormal fibroblast/myofibroblast activation, and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, but thus far, the exact etiology remains unclear. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) play regulatory roles in various biological processes and have been implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple fibrotic diseases, including IPF. This review summarizes the roles of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of IPF and their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic targets.