bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introversion and the frequency and intensity of daily uplifts and hassles
Authors: DeMeo Natasha N. , Smyth Joshua M. , Scott Stacey B. , Almeida David M. , Sliwinski Martin J. , Graham‐Engeland Jennifer E.
Published: May 2022

Objective

There is reason to believe that introversion may relate to different patterns of negative and positive experiences in everyday life (“hassles” and “uplifts”), but there is little evidence for this based on reports made in daily life as events occur. We thus extend the literature by using data from ecological momentary assessments to examine whether introversion is associated with either the frequency or intensity of hassles and uplifts.

Method

Participants (N = 242) were community‐dwelling adults (63% Black, 24% Hispanic; ages 25‐65; 65% women) who completed baseline measures of personality and mental health, followed by reports of hassles and uplifts 5x/day for 14 days. We present associations between introversion and hassles/uplifts both with and without controlling for mood‐related factors (neuroticism, recent symptoms of depression, and anxiety).

Results

Introversion was associated with reporting less frequent and less enjoyable uplifts, but not with overall hassle frequency or unpleasantness; exploratory analyses suggest associations with specific types of hassles.

Conclusions

Our results expand understanding of the role of introversion in everyday experiences, suggesting an overall association between introversion and uplifts (but not hassles, broadly) in daily life. Better understanding of such connections may inform future research to determine mechanisms by which introversion relates to health.
The long and short of mistress relationships: Sex‐differentiated mate preferences reflect a compromise of mating ideals
Authors: Choy Bryan K. C. , Li Norman P. , Tan Kenneth
Published: May 2022

Objective

Evolved mate preferences have taken center stage in evolutionary psychology research, yet this literature has been fairly muted on mate preferences for extrapair partners. Here, we examined the mate preferences for mistress relationships (the traits that men prioritize in a mistress and mistresses prioritize in their male partners) and compared these preferences to those of short‐ and long‐term relationships.

Method

In two studies (NStudy 1a = 104, NStudy 1b = 191), we derived dimensions of mate preferences through exploratory factor analyses. In subsequent studies (NStudy 2 = 219, NStudy 3 = 101), we employed a budget allocation paradigm, where participants designed their ideal mates for different relationship types (short‐term, long‐term, and mistress relationships).

Results

Whereas men focused on fulfilling short‐term mating ideals (by prioritizing physical attractiveness) in a mistress relationship, women focused on fulfilling long‐term (but also some short‐term) mating ideals (prioritizing both physical attractiveness and social status) for a mistress relationship.

Conclusion

Findings indicate that mistress relationships reflect a compromise of men's and women's (conflicting) mating ideals and contribute to an understanding of relationships that are neither completely short‐ nor long‐term in nature.
Gender‐based cyberbullying: Understanding expected bystander behavior online
Authors: Herry Emily , Mulvey Kelly Lynn
Published: May 2022

As online access grows widespread, individuals may be increasingly subjected to cyberbullying, including cyber‐harassment targeting one's gender. Although bystander intervention can help stop bullying, little is known about factors that promote bystander intervention in instances of gender‐based cyberbullying. This study examines expected bystander responses to gender‐based cyberbullying with emerging adults from the United States (N = 373, Mage = 18.89, SD = .94). Hierarchical regressions demonstrated that women, those with prior experience as victims of gender‐based discrimination and those encountering male transgressors were more likely to expect that they would support a victim of gender‐based cyberbullying. Additionally, the better participants were at perceiving and understanding emotions, the less they expected that they would support the cyberbully and the more they expected they would support the victim of gender‐based cyberbullying.
Cost‐effectiveness of probiotics and fluoride varnish in caries prevention in preschool children
Authors: Rodriguez Gonzalo A. , Cabello Rodrigo A. , Borroni Catalina P. , Palacio Raul A.
Published: May 2022

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of two preventive interventions aimed at increasing the proportion of caries‐free preschool children of low socioeconomic status using a decision analytic model.

Methods

Two scenarios were tested, one with a school milk program (SMP) and one without (non‐SMP). Fluoride varnish (FV) and a probiotic (PB) were compared to a do‐nothing alternative among children in public nurseries/schools over a 4‐year period. FV was applied biannually and a PB (Lactobacillus rhamnosus) added to milk powder prepared daily. A Markov decision tree model was utilized. Several sources of data were used to populate the model. Probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed, and a public provider perspective was used.

Results

In the SMP scenario, PB was more effective and less costly than FV and, compared with do‐nothing, increased the proportion of caries‐free children by 14.5%, with a cost of USD 12.5 per child (June 2018). PB presented an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) or cost per extra caries‐free child of USD 86.2. In the non‐SMP scenario, both interventions were cost‐effective. FV (compared with do‐nothing) increased the percentage of caries‐free children by 8.3% with an ICER of USD 338.3 and PB (compared with FV) increased the effect by 6.2% with an ICER of USD 1400.2.

Conclusions

The findings showed that PB was most effective and less costly than FV in the SMP scenario only. This type of analysis and its results provide essential information for decision‐makers to improve the oral health of preschool children.
Integrative taxonomy and phylogeny of leafless Vanilla orchids from the South‐West Indian Ocean region reveal two new Malagasy species
Authors: Andriamihaja Cathucia F. , Botomanga Alemao , Misandeau Chantal , Ramarosandratana Aro V. , Grisoni Michel , Da Silva Denis , Pailler Thierry , Jeannoda Vololoniaina H. , Besse Pascale
Published: May 2022

The leafless Vanilla species complex from the South‐West Indian Ocean (SWIO) region has long been a taxonomic challenge, due to limited patterns of morphological differentiation and an absence of variation within chloroplast sequences. This complex includes seven known morphospecies: V. madagascariensis, V. bosseri, V. decaryana, and V. perrieri endemic to Madagascar, V. humblotii presumed as endemic to the Comoros Archipelago, but also present in Madagascar, V. roscheri from the East African coast, and V. phalaenopsis endemic to Seychelles. A previous population genetic study using microsatellite markers allowed us to distinguish, in addition to the five recognized Malagasy taxa, two other genetic clusters present in the East of the island. An integrative taxonomy approach was therefore conducted by combining microsatellite and morphological data used in the previous study with new data sets, and by adding ITS sequencing data, to validate the taxonomic level of these Malagasy genetic clusters and unravel phylogenetic relationships between SWIO species. As a result, based on phylogenetic, genotypic and morphological evidence, nine species were discriminated in the SWIO region, including seven in Madagascar, with two new eastern species. The leafless Vanilla group originated and diversified in Madagascar, from an ancestor of African descent, with three subsequent independent colonization events from Madagascar to the other territories of SWIO within the two main lineages (white versus yellow flower species). The new Malagasy species, V. allorgeae Andriamihaja & Pailler sp. nov., and V. atsinananensis Andriamihaja & Pailler sp. nov., are described and a new identification key is proposed.
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 cooperates with androgen receptor/cell cycle‐related kinase signalling pathway in the progression of hepatitis B virus infection and gender differences
Authors: Xu Yanhui , Qi Wenqian , Wang Xu , Zhang Yonggui , Han Liang , Shi Jingyi , Wang Guohua , Liu Jia , Duan Honglei , Cong Xianling , Zhao Ping , Zhou Changyu , Wang Jiangbin
Published: May 2022

The study aimed to investigate the role of androgen receptor (AR)/cell cycle‐related kinase (CCRK) signalling pathway in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and gender differences, and the contribution of AR regulatory factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in it. AR, CCRK, and phosphorylated STAT3 expressions in liver tissues of chronic HBV‐infected patients and non‐HBV controls were determined by western blot and compared between genders. The relationships of expression levels with serum HBV DNA levels, liver inflammation activity, and fibrosis score were analysed in chronic HBV‐infected patients. The relationships between expression levels of three proteins were also analysed. HBV‐infected patients had significantly higher expression levels of AR, CCRK, and p‐STAT3Tyr705 compared with controls (p < .01). The expression levels of AR, CCRK, and p‐STAT3Tyr705 in chronic HBV‐infected patients with severe inflammation were significantly higher than those with mild inflammation (p < .05). Expression levels in patients with heavier fibrosis (stage F4) were higher than in those with less fibrosis (stages F0–3) (p < .01). No gender differences were observed in AR, CCRK, and p‐STAT3Tyr705 levels in non‐HBV controls; higher levels were observed in HBV‐infected males than in HBV‐infected females (p < .05). AR, CCRK, and p‐STAT3Tyr705 levels in liver tissues positively correlated with each other (p < .0001) and with serum HBV DNA levels (p < .0001). In conclusion, in this study, we first found concordant over‐expression of AR, CCRK, and STAT3 in liver tissues of chronic HBV‐infected patients who have not yet developed HCC, significantly correlated with the severity of the disease and showed gender differences. STAT3 may be a potential therapeutic co‐target for chronic HBV infection.
Image, text and design: students' semiotic choices in nonfiction compositions
Authors: Moses Lindsey , Serafini Frank
Published: May 2022

Abstract

This study investigates the ways in which first graders utilised a variety of semiotic resources when authoring nonfiction compositions during a nonfiction genre writing unit of study. Grounded in social semiotics and multimodality theories, the study uses a case study approach to explore the text, image and design resources used in students' multimodal compositions as a group followed by an in‐depth examination of two students' compositions. The data collection includes student compositions, video of classroom interactions and video recorded student composition/artefact elicitation interviews in which students discussed their composition process, authorial decision making and final composition. A multimodal approach to data analysis examines the semiotic resources used by the children, their meaning potential and purposes for inclusion in their nonfiction compositions. Findings suggest students drew upon a range of modalities, including visual images, graphic design features and movable text, in addition to written language to share their ideas and present their information through multimodal compositions. Implications include a need for curricular and instructional advancements with a greater focus on multimodal composing techniques to create inclusive spaces where students can more fully represent what they want to communicate.
Defining pathogenicity of NOTCH2 variants for diagnosis of Alagille syndrome type 2 using a large cohort of patients
Authors: Li Zhong‐Die , Abuduxikuer Kuerbanjiang , Wang Li , Hao Chen‐Zhi , Zhang Jing , Wang Meng‐Xuan , Li Li‐Ting , Qiu Yi‐Ling , Xie Xin‐Bao , Lu Yi , Wang Jian‐She
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) type 2 caused by mutations in NOTCH2 has genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. Diagnosis in some atypical patients with isolated hepatic presentation could be missed.

Methods

Using 2087 patients with paediatric liver manifestations, NOTCH2 allele frequencies, in‐silico prediction, protein domains and clinical features were analysed to define the pathogenicity of NOTCH2 variants for diagnosis of ALGS type 2.

Results

Among 2087 patients with paediatric liver manifestations, significantly more NOTCH2 variants were absent in gnomAD in patients with elevated γ‐glutamyltransferase (GGT) (p = .041). Significantly more NOTCH2 variants which were absent in gnomAD were located in protein functional domains (p = .038). When missense variants were absent in gnomAD and predicted to be pathogenic by at least three out of seven in‐silico tools, they were found to be significantly associated with liver manifestations with elevated GGT (p = .003). Comparing this to patients with likely benign (LB) variants, the patients with likely‐pathogenic (LP) variants have significantly more liver manifestations with elevated GGT (p = .0001). Significantly more patients with LP variants had extra‐hepatic phenotypes of ALGS compared with those patients with LB variants (p = .0004).

Conclusion

When NOTCH2 variants are absent in gnomAD, null variants and missense variants which were predicted to be pathogenic by at least three in‐silico tools could be considered pathogenic in patients with high GGT chronic liver diseases.
FIB‐4 and incident severe liver outcomes in patients with undiagnosed chronic liver disease: A Fine‐Gray competing risk analysis
Authors: Schreiner Andrew D. , Zhang Jingwen , Moran William P. , Koch David G. , Marsden Justin , Livingston Sherry , Mauldin Patrick D. , Gebregziabher Mulugeta
Published: May 2022

Background and Aims

The Fibrosis‐4 index (FIB‐4) can reliably assess fibrosis risk in patients with chronic liver disease, and advanced fibrosis is associated with severe liver disease (SLD) outcomes. However, CLD is underdiagnosed in primary care. We examined the association between FIB‐4 risk strata and the incidence of SLD preceding a CLD diagnosis while considering incident CLD diagnoses as competing risks.

Methods

Using primary care clinic data between 2007 and 2018, we identified patients with two FIB‐4 scores and no liver disease diagnoses preceding the index FIB‐4. Patients were followed from index FIB‐4 until an incident SLD (a composite of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma or liver transplantation), CLD or were censored. Hazard ratios were computed using a Fine‐Gray competing risk model.

Results

Of 20 556 patients, there were 54.8% in the low, 34.8% in the indeterminate, 6.6% in the high and 3.8% in the persistently high‐risk FIB‐4 strata. During a mean 8.2 years of follow‐up, 837 (4.1%) patients experienced an SLD outcome and 11.5% of the sample received a CLD diagnosis. Of patients with an SLD event, 49% received no preceding CLD diagnosis. In the adjusted Fine‐Gray model, the indeterminate (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.17–1.71), high (HR 4.65, 95% CI 3.76–5.76) and persistently high‐risk (HR 7.60, 95% CI 6.04–9.57) FIB‐4 risk strata were associated with a higher incidence of SLD compared to the low‐risk stratum.

Conclusions

FIB‐4 scores with indeterminate‐ and high‐risk values are associated with an increased incidence of SLD in primary care patients without known CLD.
Consistent time‐homogeneous modeling of SPX and VIX derivatives
Authors: Papanicolaou Andrew
Published: May 2022

This paper shows how to recover a stochastic volatility model (SVM) from a market model of the VIX futures term structure. Market models have more flexibility for fitting of curves than do SVMs, and therefore are better suited for pricing VIX futures and VIX derivatives. But the VIX itself is a derivative of the S&P500 (SPX) and it is common practice to price SPX derivatives using an SVM. Therefore, consistent modeling for both SPX and VIX should involve an SVM that can be obtained by inverting the market model. This paper's main result is a method for the recovery of a stochastic volatility function by solving an inverse problem where the input is the VIX function given by a market model. Analysis will show conditions necessary for there to be a unique solution to this inverse problem. The models are consistent if the recovered volatility function is non‐negative. Examples are presented to illustrate the theory, to highlight the issue of negativity in solutions, and to show the potential for inconsistency in non‐Markov settings.
Asteroid 2008 TC3, not a polymict ureilitic but a polymict C1 chondrite parent body? Survey of 249 Almahata Sitta fragments
Authors: Bischoff Addi , Bannemann Lukas , Decker Stephan , Ebert Samuel , Haberer Siegfried , Heitmann Ursula , Horstmann Marian , Klemm Kerstin I. , Kraemer Ann‐Kathrin , Lentfort Sarah , Patzek Markus , Storz Jakob , Weyrauch Mona
Published: May 2022

On October 7, 2008, the asteroid 2008 TC3 exploded as it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, producing significant dust (in the atmosphere) and delivering thousands of stones in a strewn field in Sudan, collectively known as the Almahata Sitta (AhS) stones. About 600 fragments were officially recovered in 2008 and 2009. Further rocks were collected since the fall event by local people. From these stones, 249 were classified at the Institut für Planetologie in Münster (MS) known as MS‐xxx or MS‐MU‐xxx AhS subsamples. Most of these rocks are ureilitic in origin (168; 67%): 87 coarse‐grained ureilites, 60 fine‐grained ureilites, 15 ureilites with variable texture/mineralogy, four trachyandesites, and two polymict breccias. We identified 81 non‐ureilitic fragments, corresponding to 33% of the recovered samples studied in Münster. These included chondrites, namely 65 enstatite chondrites (43 EL; 22 EH), 11 ordinary chondrites (OC), one carbonaceous chondrite, and one unique R‐like chondrite. Furthermore, three samples represent a unique type of enstatite achondrite. Since all AhS stones must be regarded as individual specimens independent from each other, the number of fresh ureilite and enstatite chondrite falls in our meteorite collections has been increased by several hundred percent. Overall, the samples weigh between <1 and 250 g and have a mean mass of ~15 g. If we consider—almost 15 years after the fall—the mass calculations, observations during and after the asteroid entered the atmosphere, the mineralogy of the C1 stones AhS 91A and AhS 671, and the experimental work on fitting the asteroid spectrum (e.g., Goodrich et al., 2019; Jenniskens et al., 2010; Shaddad et al., 2010), the main portion of the meteoroid was likely made of the fine‐grained (carbonaceous) dust and was mostly lost in the atmosphere. In particular, the fact that C1 materials were found has important implications for interpreting asteroid 2008 TC3's early spectroscopic results. Goodrich et al. (2019) correctly suggested that if scientists had not recovered the “water‐free” samples (e.g., ureilites, enstatites, and OC) from the AhS strewn field, 2008 TC3 would have been assumed to be a carbonaceous chondrite meteoroid. Considering that the dominating mass of the exploding meteoroid consisted of carbonaceous materials, asteroid 2008 TC3 cannot be classified as a polymict ureilite; consequently, we state that the asteroid was a polymict carbonaceous chondrite breccia, specifically a polymict C1 object that may have formed by late accretion at least 50–100 Ma after calcium–aluminum‐rich inclusions.
Population connectivity and genetic offset in the spawning coral Acropora digitifera in Western Australia
Authors: Adam Arne A. S. , Thomas Luke , Underwood Jim , Gilmour James , Richards Zoe T.
Published: May 2022

Anthropogenic climate change has caused widespread loss of species biodiversity and ecosystem productivity across the globe, particularly on tropical coral reefs. Predicting the future vulnerability of reef‐building corals, the foundation species of coral reef ecosystems, is crucial for cost‐effective conservation planning in the Anthropocene. In this study, we combine regional population genetic connectivity and seascape analyses to explore patterns of genetic offset (the mismatch of gene–environmental associations under future climate conditions) in Acropora digitifera across 12 degrees of latitude in Western Australia. Our data revealed a pattern of restricted gene flow and limited genetic connectivity among geographically distant reef systems. Environmental association analyses identified a suite of loci strongly associated with the regional temperature variation. These loci helped forecast future genetic offset in gradient forest and generalized dissimilarity models. These analyses predicted pronounced differences in the response of different reef systems in Western Australia to rising temperatures. Under the most optimistic future warming scenario (RCP 2.6), we predicted a general pattern of increasing genetic offset with latitude. Under the extreme climate scenario (RCP 8.5 in 2090–2100), coral populations at the Ningaloo World Heritage Area were predicted to experience a higher mismatch between current allele frequencies and those required to cope with local environmental change, compared to populations in the inshore Kimberley region. The study suggests complex and spatially heterogeneous patterns of climate‐change vulnerability in coral populations across Western Australia, reinforcing the notion that regionally tailored conservation efforts will be most effective at managing coral reef resilience into the future.
Body growth and reproductive parameters of common dolphins from the southwestern Atlantic
Authors: Grandi María Florencia , Heredia Federico M. , Sosa Drouville Ailin , Dellabianca Natalia A. , Crespo Enrique A.
Published: May 2022

Common dolphins, Delphinus delphis, in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean are subject to incidental mortality in fishing gear. However, no information on trends in abundance or estimates of bycatch mortality are available to evaluate the impact of this threat on the population. This study presents estimates of life history parameters using postmortem data obtained over a 17‐year period in Argentina. Ages were determined for 93 specimens, and reproductive organ samples were examined (n = 89). Immature animals ranged from 0 to 6 years in females and from 0 to 9 years in males. Mature animals ranged from 7 to 21 years in females and from 6 to 23 years in males. The asymptotic body length (L∞) described by a Gompertz model fit to age‐length data was 196 cm, 95% CI [192.45, 199.76] for females and 210.75 cm, 95% CI [206.64, 215.30] for males and was attained at 14 years in females and 15 years in males. Comparison to other populations showed that L∞ were shorter than estimates from New Zealand, similar to L∞ from eastern North Atlantic, and longer than estimates from North Pacific common dolphins. Lmax reported here were shorter than New Zealand ones but similar to those previously reported from other populations.
Resonance plays a secondary role in amplifying underwater vocalizations of Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii)
Authors: Moore Jennifer L. , Terhune John M.
Published: May 2022

During the breeding season, male Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) defend underwater territories using high amplitude trill vocalizations (some >190 dB re 1 μPa‐m). The source‐filter theory states that the characteristics of vocalizations are a product of both the sound produced at the source and the effects of soundwave reflection within the vocal tract. This study aimed to determine the relative influence of reflection (resonance). Weddell seal trills (tonal descending frequency sweeps ranging from >20 to <0.1 kHz) offered a unique opportunity to look for resonance in the spectral patterns, appearing as periodic peaks in amplitude over short frequency intervals. Additionally, distributions of frequencies with absolute maximum amplitude (FMA) were tested against random distributions to look for frequencies where FMAs occur more frequently than by chance. All methods exhibited evidence of resonance at 0.45–0.56 and 2.25–2.83 kHz. These frequencies would resonate in closed‐at‐both‐ends tubes with lengths of 32–40 and 6–8 cm, respectively. These lengths approximate the likely sizes of the trachea and larynx or pharynx respectively. The amplitudes of the underwater calls of Weddell seals primarily result from the amplitude generated by the sound source in the larynx with some additional amplitude associated with resonance in the vocal tract.
Alternative splicing as a key player in the fine‐tuning of the immunity response in Arabidopsis
Authors: Kufel Joanna , Diachenko Nataliia , Golisz Anna
Published: May 2022

Plants, like animals, are constantly exposed to abiotic and biotic stresses, which often inhibit plant growth and development, and cause tissue damage, disease, and even plant death. Efficient and timely response to stress requires appropriate co‐ and posttranscriptional reprogramming of gene expression. Alternative pre‐mRNA splicing provides an important layer of this regulation by controlling the level of factors involved in stress response and generating additional protein isoforms with specific features. Recent high‐throughput studies have revealed that several defence genes undergo alternative splicing that is often affected by pathogen infection. Despite extensive work, the exact mechanisms underlying these relationships are still unclear, but the contribution of alternative protein isoforms to the defence response and the role of regulatory factors, including components of the splicing machinery, have been established. Modulation of gene expression in response to stress includes alternative splicing, chromatin remodelling, histone modifications, and nucleosome occupancy. How these processes affect plant immunity is mostly unknown, but these facets open new regulatory possibilities. Here we provide an overview of the current state of knowledge and recent findings regarding the growing importance of alternative splicing in plant response to biotic stress.
Genomic prediction in doubled haploid maize (Zea mays) populations under water stress at flowering and well‐watered conditions using high‐density single‐nucleotide polymorphisms
Authors: B. V. Ananda Kumar , S. R. Venkatachalam , R. Ravikesavan , R. Narasimhulu , P. Kathirvelan , Selvarangam Venkatesh , Pandravada Anand , Srivastava Ashish , D. C. Balasundara , Babu Raman , Das Sayan
Published: May 2022

The most important applications of genomic selection (GS) in maize breeding is to predict and identify the best untested lines from biparental populations, when the training and validation sets are derived from the same cross. A total of 300 hybrids were generated using doubled haploid lines crossed to single known tester. The test hybrids and checks were evaluated for drought tolerance, grain yield and yield attributes under well‐watered (WW) and water stress at flowering (WSF) conditions during rabi 2018 at Hyderabad and Aurangabad locations. The study was further deep dived and practiced GS using 3352 single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. An extension of the genomic best linear unbiassed predictor that incorporates genotype × environment (GE) interaction was used to predict genotypic values; cross‐validation methods were applied to quantify prediction accuracy. Our results showed that the highest cross‐validation prediction accuracy for grain yield was 0.47 under WSF condition in TPS3, whereas under WW condition, prediction accuracy was 0.44 in TPS2, which is statistically on par with WSF condition. Among the secondary traits, the peak GS accuracies recorded for the traits anthesis silking interval (0.52) and ears per plant (0.48) under WSF. Under both the water regimes, anthesis silking interval and plant height recorded higher prediction accuracy when compared with grain yield. Hence, GS could be practiced for anthesis silking interval and ears per plant under stress condition in maize. Further while optimizing the population size, it was revealed from the study that increasing size of the population increases GS accuracy and TPS2 considered as optimum size of population for GS prediction.
Clinical profiles of post‐infectious arthritis and transient synovitis of the hip in children
Authors: Ananthanathorn Paween , Sukharomana Maynart , Charuvanij Sirirat
Published: May 2022

Background

Acute inflammatory arthritides can present as a result of immune reaction following infections. Post‐infectious arthritis and transient synovitis of the hip in children are included in this disease entity. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical profiles of post‐infectious arthritis and transient synovitis of the hip in Thai children.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed at a tertiary care hospital in Bangkok, Thailand from January 2005 to July 2017.

Results

Eighty‐six patients (56 boys and 30 girls) were included in this study. Mean age was 8.4 ± 4.8 years. Reactive arthritis was diagnosed in two patients (2.3%) following Salmonella spp. and Chlamydia trachomatis infections. Post‐streptococcal reactive arthritis was present in 10 patients (11.6%). Transient synovitis of the hip was found in 30 patients (34.9%). Forty‐four patients (51.2%) were clinically diagnosed with post‐infectious arthritis. Mono/oligoarthritis was the most common clinical profile (84.9%). The distribution of lower‐extremity involvement was as follows: hip, 47.6%; knee, 46.5%; and ankle joints, 30.2%. The documented preceding illness consisted mostly of upper respiratory tract symptoms (30.2%). Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs were prescribed for 70 patients (81.4%).

Conclusion

Mono/oligoarthritis of the lower extremity was the main clinical profile. Preceding viral illness was documented in one‐third of children. Reactive arthritis was rarely seen.
Locating facilities under competition and market expansion: Formulation, optimization, and implications
Authors: Lin Yun Hui , Tian Qingyun , Zhao Yanlu
Published: May 2022

As the ongoing battle between brick‐and‐mortar stores and e‐commerce shops escalates, managers of the former are becoming more cautious regarding their strategic store site selection and decoration decisions, particularly if foreseeable competition from rival companies exists. This paper investigates a bilevel competitive facility location (BCFL) problem, where two companies, a leader and a follower, plan to enter a market sequentially. Each company has a budget to open and design facilities. The goal is to maximize expected revenue that is forecasted through a discrete choice model. To reflect a practical environment, we further consider a situation with elastic demand, explaining the market expansion effect when customers are offered better service due to the opening of new facilities. We formulate the problem as a nonlinear 0‐1 bilevel program. Because of the bilevel structure and the market expansion effect, this problem is so challenging that we are unaware of any exact algorithms in the literature. Motivated by this gap, we develop an exact framework that leverages the state‐of‐the‐art value‐function–based approach. However, this framework requires solving a mixed‐integer nonconvex optimization problem (MINOP) at each iteration, which is computationally prohibitive even for medium‐scale instances. To mitigate the intractability, we propose a new framework that avoids MINOP and tackles instances with hundreds of location variables. Finally, we conduct extensive computational studies to show the efficiency and effectiveness of our method as well as provide insightful guidance for managers to have win–win/dominate outcomes and choose an appropriate market size function when dealing with expansion decisions in chained business operations.
Does governance ease the overhead squeeze experienced by nonprofits?
Authors: Parsa Iman , Eftekhar Mahyar , Corbett Charles J
Published: May 2022

Nonprofits' performance is often evaluated based, in part, on their program spending ratio (PSR). Yet, ranking nonprofits based on PSR has been criticized because it is an imprecise index of a nonprofit's actual social impact. Further, too much emphasis on PSR creates an incentive for nonprofits to increase their program spending at the expense of investing in overhead, regardless of the social value it generates. In extreme cases, excessive focus on PSR can create incentives to manipulate or even misreport financial statements. Communicating information regarding governance can potentially counterbalance the pressures created by this focus on PSR. In 2008, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service implemented significant changes in the type of information that nonprofits are required to disclose, which helps them to better display their governance quality. Studying the tax forms of 38,226 nonprofits active in social services and relief operations during 2010–2017, we find that governance quality is now an important factor in driving public donations to nonprofits, although PSR still remains a key driver. Moreover, our findings show that better governance is associated with a lower likelihood of misreporting, consistent with the argument that better governance reduces the pressure to report a high PSR. Overall, our results suggest that nonprofits should consider improving their governance quality in their strategies for securing donation income, even though that may lead to lower PSR levels.
Antidepressant‐induced serotonin syndrome in older patients: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Erken Neziha , Kaya Derya , Dost Fatma Sena , Ates Bulut Esra , Isik Ahmet Turan
Published: May 2022

Background

Widespread prescription of antidepressants and their resulting role in serotonin syndrome (SS) are of great importance for clinical practice in the elderly. This study aims to investigate possible associations of antidepressant drug‐induced SS with related variables in these patients.

Methods

A total of 238 older adults using antidepressants were included. Patients who fulfilled the Hunter Serotonin Toxicity Criteria (HSTC) for SS were considered as the clinical groups (mild, moderate, or severe), and those who did not as the control group. We recorded all patients' demographic and clinical characteristics, including age, gender, comorbidity index, number of medications, daily equivalent dose of the relevant antidepressant according to fluoxetine per day, electrocardiogram test results, laboratory results, and management.

Results

The mean age of all patients was 75.4 ± 7.6 years and 63.4% were female. Sixty patients had SS, while 178 patients did not. There was a significant difference between those with and without SS in terms of gender, frequency of combination antidepressant therapy, and daily equivalent antidepressant dose (P < 0.05). The most common diagnostic findings in SS patients were tremor and hyperreflexia and 31.7% was mild, and moderate in 68.3% with higher median age and number of medications (P < 0.041). Antidepressants were discontinued in all patients regardless of severity, of whom 71.7% were treated with benzodiazepines and 36.7% with cyproheptadine. After adjusting for age and sex, association with use of SSRI + SNRI, use of any combination therapy, and daily equivalent dose remained significant.

Conclusions

The widespread single or combined use of antidepressants in older adults represents an increased clinical concern for SS and physicians should be aware of this drug‐related complication in older patients.
An event‐based analysis of maternal physiological reactivity following aversive child behaviors
Authors: Gatzke‐Kopp Lisa , Zhang Xutong , Creavey Kristine L. , Skowron Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2022

Research investigating the association between parents' physiological reactivity and their ability to self‐regulate in parenting contexts typically examines the average physiological response across the duration of a dyadic task, conflating reactivity across a multitude of parent and child behaviors. The present study utilized a moving‐window analytical technique to generate a continuous, second × second time series of mothers' high‐frequency heart rate variability (HF‐HRV) to conduct an event‐based analysis of maternal reactivity in the 10 s following an aversive child event. Analyses examined whether maternal reactivity related to parenting behaviors similarly among maltreating (n = 48) and non‐maltreating (n = 29) mother‐preschooler dyads. Results indicate that maternal behavior was not associated with average HF‐HRV reactivity, but mothers who demonstrated an increase in HF‐HRV immediately following a negative child event were more likely to engage in behaviors to return the dyad to a positive state. Findings were specific to incidents of negative child behavior, and results were not moderated by maltreatment status. These results highlight the value of using an event‐based design to isolate reactivity in response to targeted events to understand how physiological reactivity supports parenting.
Equilibration time with cryoprotectants, but not melatonin supplementation during in vitro maturation, affects viability and metaphase plate morphology of vitrified porcine mature oocytes
Authors: Gonzalez‐Plaza Alejandro , Brullo Cristiano , Cambra Josep M. , Garcia Manuela , Iacono Eleonora , Parrilla Inmaculada , Gil Maria Antonia , Martinez Emilio A. , Martinez Cristina A. , Cuello Cristina
Published: May 2022

The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of different equilibration times with cryoprotectants on viability and metaphase plate morphology of vitrified‐warmed porcine mature oocytes (Experiment 1) and to evaluate the effects of supplementation with 10−9 M melatonin during in vitro maturation on these parameters (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, 2,392 mature oocytes were vitrified using different equilibration times of oocytes with cryoprotectants (3, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 60 and 80 min). Fresh oocytes matured in vitro for 44 hr (n = 509) were used as controls. In Experiment 2, a total of 573 COCs were used. COCs were matured with 10−9 M melatonin supplementation or without melatonin (control). Some oocytes from each group were vitrified with a 60‐min equilibration time with cryoprotectants according to the results of Experiment 1. The remaining oocytes from each maturation group were used as fresh control groups. In both experiments, oocytes were stained with 2′,7′‐dichlorodihydrofuorescein diacetate and Hoechst 33342 to assess viability and metaphase plate morphology, respectively. Vitrification and warming affected (p < .01) oocyte viability compared with controls, which were all viable after 44 hr of IVM. In Experiment 1, the longer the equilibration time with cryoprotectants, the higher the viability. Oocytes equilibrated for 60 and 80 min had the highest (p < .05) viability and similar metaphase plate characteristics to the fresh control oocytes. In Experiment 2, supplementation with melatonin during in vitro maturation had no effect on oocyte viability or metaphase plate morphology of vitrified‐warmed oocytes. In conclusion, under our experimental conditions, vitrified porcine mature oocytes equilibrated with cryoprotectants for 60 or 80 min exhibited the highest viability and similar metaphase plate characteristics to fresh controls. Furthermore, supplementation with 10−9 M melatonin during in vitro maturation had no effect on these parameters.
Management and environmental factors associated with simulated restoration seeding barriers in sagebrush steppe
Authors: Copeland Stella M. , Bradford John B. , Hardegree Stuart P. , Schlaepfer Daniel R. , Badik Kevin J.
Published: May 2022

Adverse weather conditions, particularly freezing or drought, are often associated with poor seedling establishment following restoration seeding in drylands like the Great Basin sagebrush steppe (U.S.A.). Management decisions such as planting date or seed source could improve restoration outcomes by reducing seedling exposure to weather barriers. We simulated the effects of management and environmental factors on seedling exposure to post‐germination barriers for bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides), Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda), and bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata). We combined germination timing models with daily soil moisture and temperature estimates to calculate yearly germination favorability and post‐germination freezing and drought barriers for three planting dates (15 October, 15 November, and 15 March) and three seed sources or cultivars per species for 5,000 sites in each of 40 years (water years 1980–2019). We tested the effects of site environmental variables (elevation, mean annual precipitation, heat load, and clay content) and management choices (seed source and planting date) on germination favorability and barrier occurrence (mean) and variability (coefficient of variation). Seedling exposure to barriers was strongly linked to management decisions in addition to site mean precipitation and elevation. Later fall plantings and seed sources with slower germination (lower mean germination favorability) were less likely to encounter freezing and drought barriers. These results suggest that management actions can play a role comparable to site environmental variables in reducing exposure of vulnerable seedlings to adverse weather conditions and subsequent effects on restoration outcomes.
An 80 kyr record of intermediate‐depth water flow on the western South Atlantic margin
Authors: de Mahiques Michel Michaelovitch , Nagai Renata Hanae , Dias Gilberto Pereira , Figueira Rubens Cesar Lopes
Published: May 2022

Understanding the Antarctic Intermediate Water transport is fundamental to knowing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and its variations over time. This study investigates the temporal variations of the northward flow of the Intermediate Western Boundary Current (the leading carrier of the Antarctic Intermediate Water) over the last 80 kyr by using grain‐size data (sortable silt and end‐member analysis). The results presented show abrupt changes in Sortable Silt (interpreted as changes in flow speed) in the transition between Marine Isotope Stage 4 and Marine Isotope Stage 3 and during Marine Isotope Stage 3. In addition, there is a clear coarsening of Sortable Silt from the Deglacial to the Holocene, indicating an intensification of the northward transport of the Antarctic Intermediate Water along the south‐western Atlantic margin. These results highlight the existence of a prevailing positive relationship between the northward carrier of the Antarctic Intermediate Water and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation over the last 80 kyr, with a negative relationship at the beginning of Marine Isotope Stage 3 and over the Holocene. This contribution states that the positive relationship between the Antarctic Intermediate Water and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is a dynamic interconnection that needs to be further constrained by future works.
Divine influence: Religious foundations of U.S. foreign policy attitudes
Authors: Taydas Zeynep , Olson Laura R.
Published: May 2022

Objective

Religion has been shown to affect the U.S. public opinion about foreign policy. Recent studies emphasize attitudes about issues pertaining to the Middle East. They also tend to focus on the perspectives of evangelical Protestants, so we know comparatively little about how being mainline Protestant, Black Protestant, Catholic, or religiously unaffiliated might affect one's foreign policy preferences.

Methods

Using data drawn from the 2009 America's Place in the World General Public Survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, we analyze religion's impact on public attitudes about foreign affairs, comparing evangelical Protestants with four other religious groups.

Results

We find that the main driver of religion's impact on foreign policy attitudes is nominal religious affiliation (“belonging”), not the frequency of worship attendance (“behaving”). Religiously unaffiliated Americans and Catholics—and to a lesser extent, mainline and Black Protestants—perceive the world as less threatening than do evangelicals. They also prefer multilateral, cooperative solutions to international problems.

Conclusion

Americans vary significantly in their international threat perception and support for militant or cooperative internationalism based on their religious affiliation. In addition, evangelical Protestants’ preference for hawkish, unilateral foreign policy extends beyond the context of the Middle East.
Relational area studies: Russia and geographies of knowledge
Authors: Cheskin Ammon , Jašina‐Schäfer Alina
Published: May 2022

Despite valid criticisms that Area Studies is premised on geopolitical, orientalising, and Eurocentric logics, we advocate for the more critically aware and reflexive potential of Relational Area Studies. By this, we mean that the study of external spaces and areas should always be accompanied by critical efforts to examine internal processes of knowledge production. We therefore build on ‘Worlding of Geography’ approaches to foster an in‐between thinking for Area Studies research. This involves examining an area ‘out there’ while simultaneously considering the relational spaces ‘in here’. Focusing on the illuminating case of Russian Studies, we examine the hierarchies of power and geographies of knowledge associated with scholarly production in and about Russia. We do so by providing an in‐depth, comparative analysis of materials in English‐language and Russian‐language scholarly journals. The results of this empirical study help us reflect on the ‘commonsensical’ practices, assumptions, and frameworks that often go unchecked in mainstream western scholarship. From our ‘in here’–‘out there’ perspective, we use these findings to pose awkward questions about our biases and privileges within global hierarchies of power and geographies of knowledge. Ultimately, we believe this type of relational engagement helps us enrich, decolonise, and rethink our own scholarly practices. Area Studies, we argue, should learn from the insights of critical geography and should be one of the foremost venues for this type of vibrant, reflexive, and critical engagement. Our framework helps us move beyond binary conceptualisations of the Global North/South and East/West by including careful consideration of the ‘in‐between’ spaces and relational knowledge flows that accompany all global knowledge. We also include a few preliminary notes on the implications of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the applicability of our approach to future scholarship of Russia, but also how the war challenges some of our core assumptions.
An alternative framework for E-model inflation in supergravity
Authors: Pallis Constantinos
Published: May 2022

We present novel realizations of E-model inflation within Supergravity which are largely associated with the existence of a pole of order one in the kinetic term of the (gauge-singlet) inflaton superfield. This pole arises due to the selected logarithmic Kähler potentials $$K_1$$

K
1

and $${\widetilde{K}}_1$$

K
~

1

, which parameterize the same hyperbolic manifold with scalar curvature $${{{\mathcal {R}}}}_{K}=-2/N$$

R
K

=
-
2
/
N

, where $$(-N)<0$$

(
-
N
)
<
0

is the coefficient of a logarithmic term. The associated superpotential W exhibits the same R charge with the inflaton-accompanying superfield and includes all the allowed renormalizable terms. For $$K=K_1$$

K
=

K
1

, inflation can be attained for $$N=2$$

N
=
2

at the cost of some tuning regarding the coefficients of the W terms and predicts a tensor-to-scalar ratio r at the level of 0.001. The tuning can be totally eluded for $$K={\widetilde{K}}_1$$

K
=

K
~

1

, which allows for quadratic- and quartic-like models with N values increasing with r and spectral index $$n_\mathrm{s}$$

n
s

close or even equal to its present central observational value.