bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Altered effective connectivity of the reward network during an incentive‐processing task in adults with alcohol use disorder
Authors: Arias Albert J. , Ma Liangsuo , Bjork James M. , Hammond Christopher J. , Zhou Yi , Snyder Andrew , Moeller Frederick Gerard
Published: June 2021

Background

Abnormalities of reward sensitivity and impulsivity are known to be correlated with each other and alcohol use disorder (AUD) risk, but the underlying aberrant neural circuitry involved is not clearly defined. We sought to extend the current knowledge of AUD pathophysiology by studying incentive processing in persons with AUD using functional neuroimaging data.

Methods

We utilized functional MRI data from the Human Connectome Project Database obtained during performance of a number‐guessing incentive‐processing task with win, loss, and neutral feedback conditions in 78 participants with either DSM‐IV alcohol abuse or dependence (combined as the AUD group) and 78 age‐ and sex‐matched control (CON) participants. Within a network consisting of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), insula, ventral striatum, and dorsal striatum (DS) in the right hemisphere, we performed dynamic causal modeling analysis to test group‐level differences (AUD vs. CON) in effective directional connectivity (EC) as modulated by “win” and “loss” conditions. We used linear regression analyses to characterize the relations between each EC outcome and measures of cumulative alcohol exposure and impulsivity.

Results

During wins, AUD participants had lower ECs from ACC to the other four nodes, greater ECs from insula to the other four nodes, greater ECs from DLPFC to the other four nodes, and greater DS to DS self‐connection EC than CON participants. In the total sample, EC from the insula to the DLPFC (insula → DLPFC) during wins was positively correlated with both impulsivity (as measured by the delay‐discounting task) and cumulative alcohol exposure. The DS to DS self‐connection EC during wins was positively correlated with impulsivity. Many of the altered ECs from the ACC and insula to other nodes were correlated with cumulative alcohol exposure.

Conclusions

Individuals with AUD have disrupted EC in both instrumentally driven and automatized corticostriatal reward circuits during non‐alcohol reward feedback. These results point to disrupted corticostriatal EC in both “top‐down” and “bottom‐up” pathways among individuals with AUD.
Regionally specific gray matter volume is lower in alcohol use disorder: Implications for noninvasive brain stimulation treatment
Authors: McCalley Daniel M. , Hanlon Colleen A.
Published: June 2021

Background

There is growing interest in neuromodulation‐based therapeutics as tools for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Through electromagnetic induction, techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can noninvasively depolarize cortical cells in the induced electrical field and monosynaptic afferents. The ability of TMS to modulate the brain is dependent upon two factors, which may be compromised in individuals with AUD: (1) gray matter volume (GMV) at the site of stimulation and (2) scalp‐to‐cortex (STC) distance. This study tested the hypotheses that these aspects of neural architecture are compromised in AUD patients, and thus AUD patients may need a higher TMS dose to depolarize the cortex.

Methods

High‐resolution magnetic resonance images were acquired from 44 individuals with AUD and 44 age‐matched healthy controls (n = 88). Whole‐brain voxel‐based morphometry was conducted. Subsequent region‐of‐interest analysis was performed at three EEG 10‐20 sites commonly used in TMS for AUD: FP1 (left frontal pole), F3 (left DLPFC), and C3 (left motor cortex). STC distance and TMS electric fields were assessed at these EEG sites.

Results

Individuals with AUD had significantly lower GMV in the bilateral orbitofrontal cortices, supramarginal gyri, and the left DLPFC (voxel‐threshold p < 0.05, cluster‐threshold p < 0.05) and within all 3 TMS target locations, F (1, 264) = 14.12, p = 0.0002. There was no significant difference in STC distance between the AUD and the healthy control group at any tested cortical location, F (3, 252) = 1.906, p = 0.129.

Conclusions

Individuals with AUD had significantly lower GMV in multiple areas of interest for TMS treatment; however, these volumetric reductions did not impact STC distance. Given previous studies that have shown TMS‐evoked changes in cortical and subcortical activity to be dependent on GMV, these data suggest that individuals with AUD may require higher doses of TMS to sufficiently modulate the neural circuits of interest.
Genome‐wide SNP analysis clearly distinguished the Belarusian Red cattle from other European cattle breeds
Authors: Zinovieva N. A. , Sheiko I. P. , Dotsev A. V. , Sheiko R. I. , Mikhailova M. E. , Sermyagin A. A. , Abdelmanova A. S. , Kharzinova V. R. , Reyer H. , Wimmers K. , Sölkner J. , Pleshanov N. V. , Brem G.
Published: June 2021

Local breeds can serve as an important source of genetic variability in domestic animal species. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of Belarusian Red cattle and their differentiation from other European cattle populations based on genome‐wide SNP genotypes. Twenty pedigree‐recorded non‐closely related cows of Belarusian Red cattle were genotyped using the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip. Genotypes of 22 other European cattle breeds were included in the study for comparison. A total of 28 562 SNPs passed through the quality control checks and were selected for analysis. The Belarusian Red cattle displayed a moderate level of genetic variability (UHE = 0.341, HO = 0.368), and the highest heterozygote excess (UFIS = −0.066), among the studied breeds; this reflects the contribution of multiple breeds to their formation. The principal component analysis, FST‐based Neighbor‐Net tree and Admixture clustering, clearly distinguished the Belarusian Red cattle from the other European cattle breeds. Moreover, the presence of ancestral genomic components of Danish Red and Brown Swiss breeds were clearly visible, which agrees with the breed's history and its recent development. Our study highlights the importance of maintaining the specific genomic components, which makes a significant contribution to the global genetic diversity in the modern population of Belarusian Red cattle, allowing us to consider them a valuable national genetic resource. Our research results will be useful for the development of conservation programs for this local cattle breed.
Is Justice a Fixed Point?
Authors: Schaefer Alexander
Published: June 2021

Following the work of John Rawls, political theorists have fixated on the comparative stability of different equilibrium states of justice. This article identifies a crucial gap in this literature, namely, the lack of attention paid to nonequilibrating systems. Drawing on Kakutani's theorem, I present plausible cases in which society will fail to exhibit any equilibrium states of justice. An important implication for political theory is that, rather than focusing exclusively on stable equilibria, theorists should examine dynamic processes of justice, which need not exhibit equilibrating forces. To this end, a concept more useful than stability is that of robustness, or the ability of a system to maintain general desiderata in the face of an evolving conception of justice.
Distinct contribution of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to human neutrophil function and antibiotic efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Schwartz Franziska A. , Lerche Christian J. , Christophersen Lars , Jensen Peter Østrup , Laulund Anne Sofie , Woetmann Anders , Høiby Niels , Moser Claus
Published: June 2021

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) causes superficial and severe endovascular infections. The present in vitro study investigates the anti‐SA mechanisms of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on direct bacterial killing, antibiotic potentiation, and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) enhancement. SA was exposed to isolated human PMNs, tobramycin, ciprofloxacin, or benzylpenicillin. HBOT was used as one 90‐min session. Bacterial survival was evaluated after 4 h by quantitative bacteriology. PMN functionality as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was measured by means of dihydrorhodamine 123 analysis. We showed that HBOT exhibits significant direct anti‐SA effects. HBOT increased the anti‐SA effects of PMNs by 18% after PMA stimulation (p = 0.0004) and by 15% in response to SA (p = 0.36). HBOT showed an additive effect as growth reductions of 26% to sub‐MICs of tobramycin (p = 0.0057), 44% to sub‐MICs of ciprofloxacin (p = 0.0001), and 26% to sub‐MICs of penicillin (p = 0.038). The present in vitro study provides evidence that HBOT has differential mechanisms mediating its anti‐SA effects. Our observation supports the clinical possibility for adjunctive HBOT to augment the host immune response and optimize the efficacy of antibiotic treatments.
Diagnostic utility of the combined use of HNF4A and GATA3 in distinction between primary and metastatic breast and gastric carcinomas
Authors: Saad Diana Z. , Sidhom Karima F. , Gadallah Manal F. , Samir Naglaa A. , Shakweer Marwa M.
Published: June 2021

Sometimes the distinction between gastric adenocarcinomas and breast carcinomas can be challenging. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4‐alpha (HNF4A) has been suggested as a potential marker in these cases. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the role of the combined use of HNF4A and GATA3 as immunohistochemical markers in distinction between primary and metastatic breast and gastric carcinomas. This retrospective study was conducted on (81) cases divided into four groups of cohorts: primary BC (cohort I, n = 25), primary GC (cohort II, n = 23), and metastases derived from both types of tumors designated as metastasis derived from BC (cohort III‐A, n = 17) and metastasis derived from GC (cohort III‐B, n = 16). We performed immunohistochemistry analysis of HNF4A and GATA3 in all (81) cases. HNF4A expression was seen in 22 of 23 primary gastric adenocarcinomas and was absent in all 25 primary breast carcinomas (sensitivity 95.7%, specificity 100%). HNF4A was seen in 15 of 16 metastatic gastric adenocarcinomas and was absent in all 17 metastatic breast carcinomas (sensitivity 93.8%, specificity 100%). GATA3 showed 92 and 88% sensitivity, and 95.7 and 100% specificity for primary breast carcinomas and metastatic breast carcinomas, respectively. Our data confirmed the potential utility of HNF4A as a diagnostic marker and can be used as an adjunct to GATA3 as an immunohistochemical panel to differentiate between breast and gastric carcinomas.
Shifts in the humanitarian space? Examining NGO–military engagements during the 2017 crisis in Marawi, Philippines
Authors: Hall Rosalie Arcala , Deinla Imelda
Published: June 2021

The increase in military deployments for operations other than war, and their co‐location with humanitarian actors prompt an examination of how operational engagements are blurring boundaries between the two. Military‐initiated coordination structures that bridge civilian and military spheres of activities are seen as signs of the securitization of the humanitarian space. Examining the dynamics between deployed Philippine military units and local non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in the humanitarian response to the 2017 Marawi siege, the former physically separated and subsumed humanitarian actions to kinetic goals. Using data from 48 interviews of commanders, NGO representatives and local government officials in 2018‐2019, military‐NGO interface was limited by military restrictions on mobility and by having a separate coordination platform benefiting soldiers and evacuees, respectively. Humanitarian NGOs are more willing to work with and are differential to the securitized space compared to human rights‐based NGOs.
Time to rethink haemoglobin threshold guidelines in sickle cell disease
Authors: Ballas Samir K. , Kuypers Frans A. , Gordeuk Victor R. , Hankins Jane S. , Thompson Alexis A. , Vichinsky Elliott
Published: June 2021

Alleviating anaemia in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) is crucial in managing acute complications, mitigating end‐organ damage and preventing early mortality. Some disease‐modifying and curative therapies have increased haemoglobin (Hb) levels to exceed 100 g/l, a threshold above which complications from red blood cell (RBC) transfusions have occurred, raising concern about whole‐blood viscosity‐related complications with these therapies. Here we discuss the rationale behind this limit, the effect of viscosity on blood flow and the applicability of this Hb threshold to therapies for SCD beyond RBC transfusions.
Bletinib ameliorates neutrophilic inflammation and lung injury by inhibiting Src family kinase phosphorylation and activity
Authors: Kao Ting‐I , Chen Po‐Jen , Wang Yi‐Hsuan , Tseng Hsin‐Hui , Chang Shih‐Hsin , Wu Tian‐Shung , Yang Sien‐Hung , Lee Yen‐Tung , Hwang Tsong‐Long
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose

Neutrophil overactivation is crucial in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). Bletinib (3,3′‐dihydroxy‐2′,6′‐bis(p‐hydroxybenzyl)‐5‐methoxybibenzyl), a natural bibenzyl, extracted from the Bletilla plant, exhibits anti‐inflammatory, antibacterial, and antimitotic effects. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of bletinib in human neutrophilic inflammation and LPS‐mediated ALI in mice.

Experimental Approach

In human neutrophils activated with the formyl peptide (fMLP), we assessed integrin expression, superoxide anion production, degranulation, neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, and adhesion through flow cytometry, spectrophotometry, and immunofluorescence microscopy. Immunoblotting was used to measure phosphorylation of Src family kinases (SFKs) and downstream proteins. Finally, a LPS‐induced ALI model in male BALB/c mice was used to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of bletinib treatment.

Key Results

In activated human neutrophils, bletinib reduced degranulation, respiratory burst, NET formation, adhesion, migration, and integrin expression; suppressed the enzymic activity of SFKs, including Src, Lyn, Fgr, and Hck; and inhibited the phosphorylation of SFKs as well as Vav and Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk). In mice with ALI, the pulmonary sections demonstrated considerable amelioration of prominent inflammatory changes, such as haemorrhage, pulmonary oedema, and neutrophil infiltration, after bletinib treatment.

Conclusion and Implications

Bletinib regulates neutrophilic inflammation by inhibiting the SFK‐Btk‐Vav pathway. Bletinib ameliorates LPS‐induced ALI in mice. Further biochemical optimisation of bletinib may be a promising strategy for the development of novel therapeutic agents for inflammatory diseases.
Hydraulic architecture explains species moisture dependency but not mortality rates across a tropical rainfall gradient
Authors: Pivovaroff Alexandria L. , Wolfe Brett T. , McDowell Nate , Christoffersen Bradley , Davies Stuart , Dickman L. Turin , Grossiord Charlotte , Leff Riley T. , Rogers Alistair , Serbin Shawn P. , Wright S. Joseph , Wu Jin , Xu Chonggang , Chambers Jeffrey Q.
Published: June 2021

Intensified droughts are affecting tropical forests across the globe. However, the underlying mechanisms of tree drought response and mortality are poorly understood. Hydraulic traits and especially hydraulic safety margins (HSMs), that is, the extent to which plants buffer themselves from thresholds of water stress, provide insights into species‐specific drought vulnerability. We investigated hydraulic traits during an intense drought triggered by the 2015–2016 El Niño on 27 canopy tree species across three tropical forest sites with differing precipitation. We capitalized on the drought event as a time when plant water status might approach or exceed thresholds of water stress. We investigated the degree to which these traits varied across the rainfall gradient, as well as relationships among hydraulic traits and species‐specific optimal moisture and mortality rates. There were no differences among sites for any measured trait. There was strong coordination among traits, with a network analysis revealing two major groups of coordinated traits. In one group, there were water potentials, turgor loss point, sapwood capacitance and density, HSMs, and mortality rate. In the second group, there was leaf mass per area, leaf dry matter content, hydraulic architecture (leaf area to sapwood area ratio), and species‐specific optimal moisture. These results demonstrated that while species with greater safety from turgor loss had lower mortality rates, hydraulic architecture was the only trait that explained species’ moisture dependency. Species with a greater leaf area to sapwood area ratio were associated with drier sites and reduced their transpirational demand during the dry season via deciduousness.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
Narrative Matters: ‘Who decides what a meaningful life is?’ Life, Animated – a refreshing insight into an autistic person’s life
Authors: Kehinde Fiona , Nagrodzki Jakub , Clay Felix , Wilkinson Paul
Published: June 2021

Life, Animated (2016), directed by Roger Ross Williams is a documentary that centres around the life of Owen Suskind; an autistic person. In recent decades, the media has become a powerful tool that has been used to typify and inform public opinion surrounding autism. This article analyses the portrayal of autism in Life, Animated and draws out important learning points for clinicians, families, service users and the public.
Sex‐specific changes in peripheral metabolism in a model of chronic anxiety induced by prenatal stress
Authors: Ferreira Ana Sofia , Galvão Sofia , Gaspar Rita , Rodrigues‐Neves Ana C. , Ambrósio António F. , Matafome Paulo , Gomes Catarina A. , Baptista Filipa I.
Published: June 2021

Background

Prenatal stress is associated with increased susceptibility to psychiatric and metabolic disorders later in life. Prenatal exposure to stress mediators may have sex‐dependent effects on offspring brain and metabolic function, promoting a sex‐specific vulnerability to psychopathology and metabolic alterations at adulthood. In this work, the impact of prenatal stress on glucose homeostasis and peripheral metabolism of male and female offspring was investigated in a chronic anxiety animal model.

Methods

Pregnant Wistar rats were injected with saline or glucocorticoid (dexamethasone: 1 mg/kg, subcutaneous) at gestational days 18 and 19. Male and female offspring weight was monitored, and anxious‐like behaviour and peripheral insulin‐sensitive tissues were analysed at adulthood.

Results

At birth, females and males prenatally exposed to stress presented decreased body weight which remained low in females. At adulthood, a morphological disorganization of the Langerhans islets was observed in both sexes prenatally exposed to stress, yet not changes in insulin levels were detected. Also, prenatal stress increased glucose transporter 4 (GLUT‐4) levels in female and male adipose tissues and decreased insulin receptor levels in the liver and skeleton muscle but only in females.

Conclusions

Exposure to stress mediators in critical periods of development negatively affects behaviour and metabolism. Prenatal stress programmes offspring peripheral metabolism in a sex‐specific manner, emphasizing that the response to stress in critical periods of development may be sex‐specific having each sex different vulnerabilities to psychiatric and metabolic disorders. Considering sex‐specificities may provide critical clues for the design of preventive strategies and for early therapeutic intervention.
Rethinking age heaping: a cautionary tale from nineteenth‐century Italy†
Authors: A'Hearn Brian , Delfino Alexia , Nuvolari Alessandro
Published: June 2021

Age heaping is widely employed as an indicator of human capital, more specifically of numeracy. We re‐examine the age heaping–numeracy link in the light of evidence from nineteenth‐century Italian censuses, in which education explains little of the variation in age heaping. We argue that in general age heaping is most plausibly interpreted as an indicator of cultural, economic, and institutional modernization rather than a straightforward measure of individual cognitive skills. We do not rule out the use of age heaping as a numeracy indicator, but this needs to be done with research designs that are alert to historical specificities of the context under investigation.
Anthropogenic disturbance favours generalist over specialist parasites in bird communities: Implications for risk of disease emergence
Authors: Dharmarajan Guha , Gupta Pooja , Vishnudas C. K. , Robin V. V.
Published: June 2021

Niche theory predicts specialists which will be more sensitive to environmental perturbation compared to generalists, a hypothesis receiving broad support in free‐living species. Based on their niche breadth, parasites can also be classified as specialists and generalists, with specialists infecting only a few and generalists a diverse array of host species. Here, using avian haemosporidian parasites infecting wild bird populations inhabiting the Western Ghats, India as a model system, we elucidate how climate, habitat and human disturbance affects parasite prevalence both directly and indirectly via their effects on host diversity. Our data demonstrate that anthropogenic disturbance acts to reduce the prevalence of specialist parasite lineages, while increasing that of generalist lineages. Thus, as in free‐living species, disturbance favours parasite communities dominated by generalist versus specialist species. Because generalist parasites are more likely to cause emerging infectious diseases, such biotic homogenisation of parasite communities could increase disease emergence risk in the Anthropocene.
Ecumenical Solidarity
Authors: Abuom Agnes
Published: June 2021

In October 1970, the synod of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau agreed to support the Special Fund of the Programme to Combat Racism (PCR) of the World Council of Churches from church tax contributions. The church was the first regional Protestant church in West Germany to offer financial support to the Special Fund of the PCR, at a time when the programme was facing heavy criticism in the Federal Republic of Germany. This article is an edited version of a video address to a special session of the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau synod on 26 November 2020 to commemorate the 1970 decision of the church.
Is a Joint Declaration on the Church and Ministry Possible Right Now?
Authors: Porada Rajmund
Published: June 2021

This article formulates propositions that stem from the achievements of ecumenical dialogue to date between Lutheran churches and the Roman Catholic Church. These propositions form a basis for formulating a kind of a joint declaration on the church and ecclesial communities, analogous to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. The paper does not claim to deal with all the issues involved, but points to certain assumptions founded on the dialogue‐related documents and accompanying theological reflection. Such a declaration would formally confirm that the current state of ecumenical relations has achieved a level of understanding about the church and ministry such that the remaining differences did not hinder the mutual recognition of both confessional communities as “legitimate” churches carrying out the mission of the one church of Jesus Christ. The declaration would also be a sign of accepting the doctrinal pluralism that has been present in the church since its beginning. The article concludes by suggesting that true ecumenism demands “sacrifices” for the unity on the part of each church. It should consist of an abandonment of some elements of church life that are important for the confessional identity and draw the lines of contemporary divisions.
Effects of the surface crack shape on J values along the front of an elliptical crack
Authors: Wang Shuai , Wang Bin , Janin Yin‐Jin , Bourga Renaud , Xue He
Published: June 2021

Surface cracks are one of common forms of flaws in thin‐walled structures such as pressure vessels, oil, and gas pipelines. Accurate evaluation of the growth driving force of such surface cracks is important for integrity analyses of these structures. In this study, the combined effect of the depth and the length of a given surface crack under tension was analyzed using combined elastoplastic finite element analysis (EPFEA) and crack propagation experiments with selected crack shapes. Based on the consideration of the distribution profile of the J integral as the crack growth driving force along crack front, the crack growth stability with different crack shapes was analyzed. Finite element analysis (FEA) results showed that the growth from partial to through‐wall penetration is affected by the shape of the initial crack. As shown by the distribution profile of the J integral along the crack front, the location(s) of the maximum J, that is, the highest crack driving force, is (are) found to vary with the crack shape and development.
The value of quantitative environmental DNA analyses for the management of invasive and endangered native fish
Authors: Rojahn Jack , Pearce Luke , Gleeson Dianne M. , Duncan Richard P. , Gilligan Dean M. , Bylemans Jonas
Published: June 2021

Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring is a useful tool for species detection but its use in addressing management questions remains scarce. One factor limiting the use of eDNA as a routine monitoring tool is uncertainty around the potential of eDNA data to estimate species abundance. While several confounding factors limit the ability of eDNA data to estimate absolute abundances at large spatial and temporal scales, eDNA data have the potential to estimate relative species abundances patterns at smaller scales, and this information can assist management.

Environmental DNA and conventional monitoring surveys were conducted in the Abercrombie River catchment (Australia) where an incursion of the invasive redfin perch (Perca fluviatulis) threatens the survival of a population of endangered Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica). Species‐specific assays were used to quantify eDNA concentrations from water samples and estimate the relative abundance of both species. Electrofishing and fyke netting surveys were used to validate key observations from the eDNA survey.

Environmental DNA of both species was detected at all sites except one, where redfin perch DNA was not detected. Between species comparisons of eDNA concentrations revealed a clear negative relationship between the eDNA concentrations of both species, consistent with other evidence of redfin perch having a negative impact on Macquarie perch populations. Between site comparisons of redfin perch eDNA concentrations showed evidence of a novel incursion of the species in the upper reaches of the Abercrombie River and conventional monitoring in the following year confirmed the pattern of increased redfin perch abundances from downstream to upstream sites.

Relative comparisons of eDNA concentrations of aquatic species can be used to assess species interactions and reveal unexpected species abundance patterns (e.g. allowing inferences of novel incursions of invasive species). This information is critical to evaluate current, and design future, management strategies. Consequently, while deriving absolute species abundances from quantitative eDNA data may remain challenging, the use of quantitative eDNA surveys can provide relative abundance patterns valuable to the conservation and management of invasive and endangered species.

The quantitative nature of eDNA survey data has been debated extensively in the current literature because of potential confounding influences. Current study results show that these confounding influences may be less problematic at small spatial scales and quantitative eDNA data can be effective to monitor relative species abundances patterns.
SENP1 modulates microglia‐mediated neuroinflammation toward intermittent hypoxia‐induced cognitive decline through the de‐SUMOylation of NEMO
Authors: Wang Hongwei , Yang Tianyun , Sun Jinyuan , Zhang Sisen , Liu Song
Published: June 2021

Intermittent hypoxia (IH)‐induced cognition decline is related to the neuroinflammation in microglia. SUMOylation is associated with multiple human diseases, which can be reversed by sentrin/SUMO‐specific proteases 1 (SENP1). Herein, we investigated the role of SENP1 in IH‐induced inflammation and cognition decline. BV‐2 microglial cells and mice were used for inflammatory response and cognition function evaluation following IH treatment. Biochemical analysis and Morris water maze methods were used to elaborate the mechanism of SENP1 in IH impairment. Molecular results revealed that IH induced the inflammatory response, as evidenced by the up‐regulation of NF‐κB activation, IL‐1β and TNF‐α in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, IH decreased the expression of SENP1, and increased the SUMOylation of NEMO, not NF‐κB P65. Moreover, SENP1 overexpression inhibited IH‐induced inflammatory response and SUMOylation of NEMO. However, the inhibitions were abolished by siRNA‐NEMO. In contrast, SENP1 depletion enhanced IH‐induced inflammatory response and SUMOylation of NEMO, accompanying with increased latency and reduced dwell time in mice. Overall, the results demonstrated that SENP1 regulated IH‐induced neuroinflammation by modulating the SUMOylation of NEMO, thus activating the NF‐κB pathway, revealing that targeting SENP1 in microglia may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for IH‐induced cognitive decline.
A Mixed‐Methods Study of Nurse Managers’ Managerial and Clinical Challenges in Mental Health Centers During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Kagan Ilya , Shor Razya , Ben Aharon Iris , Yerushalmi Sarit , Kigli‐Shemesh Ronit , Gelman Sophi , Itzhaki Michal
Published: June 2021

Purpose

The worldwide outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic has posed challenges for nurses. The aim of this study was to examine the managerial and clinical challenges of nurse managers in mental health centers during the current COVID‐19 pandemic.

Design

A mixed‐methods study based on an analysis of data obtained in focus groups with 25 nurse managers from two mental health centers in Israel.

Methods

The quantitative phase was conducted prior to the group sessions using a structured self‐administered questionnaire that examined the nurse managers’ (a) background data, (b) communication with the staff nurses, (c) perceptions of nurses’ functioning, (d) perceptions of their own functioning, and (e) management as impacted by the pandemic. The qualitative phase included three sessions of focus groups in which the nurse managers discussed both their challenging and positive issues during the pandemic.

Findings

The most important challenges were related to the need to protect patients from infection and communicating with families and primary caregivers. Work policies and procedures were less well adapted to pandemic conditions; nevertheless, nurse managers felt a sense of purpose, duty, and pride in their work. Three themes emerged: (a) "management complexity" included the change from a familiar routine to a new reality, working in capsules, protecting against infection, functional confusion, and insights into future epidemics; (b) "challenging communication" included communication with patients through glass walls and communication with staff through screens and (c) "bright spots" referred to staff cohesion and the provision of respectful care.

Conclusions

Mental health nurse managers have experienced during the pandemic a change in their roles from being less managerial to focusing more on clinical work. Communication between nurse managers and staff nurses and between mental health patients and staff were the main challenges. Nurse managers favorably noted the uniformity and humanity of the staff, sense of cohesion, and shared responsibility.

Clinical Relevance

In the first wave of the pandemic, there was confusion as to the functional role of ward nurse managers, as the focus of their activities became more clinical and less managerial. During and after the pandemic, preventive interventions should be carried out in order to assist patients, staff nurses, and nurse managers in mental health centers.
The effectiveness of Cyperus rotundus essential oil in reducing the side effects of laser hair removal
Authors: Mohammed Ghada F.
Published: June 2021

Background

In many ailments, Cyperus rotundus is an effective and safe treatment option. Flavonoids in the oil have anti‐inflammatory and analgesic properties. There have been no randomized controlled trials comparing topical C. rotundus oil to the available allopathic modalities for treating post‐hair removal laser side effects.

Objectives

Participants in this study were prospectively evaluated for the efficacy of C. rotundus essential oil, compared with hydrocortisone and saline, in managing pain and erythema after laser hair removal.

Methods

Eligible participants (n = 153) were randomly assigned to one of three study groups: topical C. rotundus oil (group 1), hydrocortisone (group 2), or saline (group 3). The following methods were used to assess the results: The Wong‐Baker FACES Pain Scale was used to rate pain. Erythema was graded on a six‐point scale: "no erythema," "slight erythema," "marked erythema," "severe erythema without vesicles," and "severe erythema with vesicles."

Results

In terms of anti‐inflammatory effects, C. rotundus oil and hydrocortisone did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). However, statistically significant differences in the analgesic effect (P.05) were observed, favoring the oil.

Conclusions

Cyperus rotundus essential oil is a safe and cost‐effective treatment for post‐laser pain and erythema.
It takes a village: How organizational support for adoption positively affects employees and their families
Authors: Quade Matthew J. , Hackney Kaylee J. , Carlson Dawn S. , Hanlon Ryan P.
Published: June 2021

Extending the integration of conservation of resources theory with the spillover–crossover model, we broaden the scope of types of organizational support by examining the influence of organizational support for adoption (OSFA) as a work resource that could benefit employees, their spouse, and their adopted child. Specifically, we examine how this resource of OSFA contributes to job incumbent work–family enrichment (WFE) and indirectly to a work outcome (i.e., affective commitment) and spills over to impact family outcomes (i.e., attachment, relationship tension, and family functioning). Further, we examine the crossover to the spouse through positive crossover transmission to his/her commitment to the job incumbent’s organization and his/her family outcomes. Using a matched sample of 592 couples that had adopted a child, we found that the resource of OSFA indirectly influences the job incumbent’s work and family outcomes as expected. Further, we found OSFA indirectly influences the spouse’s commitment to the job incumbent’s organization and the spouse’s family outcomes through WFE and positive crossover transmission. Evidence of the content and construct validity of OSFA is also presented. Implications, both theoretical and practical, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Practitioner points

Employees who feel supported in their adoption by their organization are more committed to their organization.

Organizations that provide support for adoptive employees indirectly influence their spouses’ commitment to the employees’ organization.

Adoptive employees’ positive work experiences that result from organizational support for adoption spillover into their family domain.

Children who are adopted can benefit indirectly from their parents’ employing organization when that organization supports the adoption in tangible ways.
Health and nutrition of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the southeastern United States
Authors: Molter Christine M. , Norton Terry M. , Hoopes Lisa A. , Nelson Steven E. , Kaylor Michelle , Hupp Amy , Thomas Rachel , Kemler Erika , Kass Philip H. , Arendt Michael D. , Koutsos Elizabeth A. , Page‐Karjian Annie
Published: June 2021

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) are opportunistic carnivores that feed primarily on benthic invertebrates and fish. Sea turtle rehabilitation requires provision of a species‐specific, balanced diet that supplies nutrition similar to that of a wild diet; this can be challenging because free‐ranging loggerheads’ diets vary depending on their life stage and geographic location, with predominant prey species dictated by local availability. The goal of this study was to better understand the nutritional needs of subadult and adult loggerheads in rehabilitation. This was accomplished by conducting a retrospective survey of stomach contents identified during gross necropsy of 153 deceased loggerheads that stranded in coastal Georgia, USA. A total of 288 different forage items were identified; the most frequently observed prey items belong to the subphylum Crustacea (N = 131), followed by bony fish (Osteichthyes; N = 45), gastropod mollusks (N = 40), bivalve mollusks (N = 23), and Atlantic horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus; N = 15). The proportions of certain prey items differed significantly with turtle size; adult turtles ate proportionately more gastropods (p = 0.001), and subadults ate proportionately more fish (p = 0.01). Stomach contents information was used to determine common local prey items (blue crab, cannonball jellyfish, horseshoe crab, whelk), which were evaluated for nutritional content. Additionally, we compared hematology and plasma biochemistry profiles (including proteins, trace minerals, and vitamins) between four cohorts of loggerhead turtles, including free‐ranging subadults and adults, nesting females, and loggerheads undergoing rehabilitation. This information was applied to inform a regionally specific, formulated diet for tube feeding, and a supplement containing vitamins and minerals for captive loggerheads, to more closely approximate the nutritional content of their natural diet. Assessing the regional and temporal variability in loggerhead diets is an important component in their effective conservation because resultant data can be used to help understand the impacts of environmental perturbations on benthic food webs.
Registration‐free point cloud generation technique using rotating mirrors
Authors: Li Fangxin , Li Heng , Kim Min‐Koo
Published: June 2021

Point cloud registration is generally required to combine multiple scans from various locations to generate a complete 3D reconstruction model. However, this registration process is error‐prone and time‐consuming. To deal with this problem, this study presents a novel registration‐free point cloud generation method for the 3D reconstruction of small‐scale components and interior rooms, using rotating flat mirrors. First, a geometrical model is developed to define the relationship between the laser scanner, mirrors, and target structure. Second, the optimal positions of the laser scanner and mirrors, as well as the optimal mirror sizes, are determined from the developed geometrical model. To validate the proposed technique, simulation tests and experimental validations are conducted on a precast concrete slab and an interior room. The validation results show that the proposed technique facilitates efficient and accurate registration‐free 3D point cloud generation without changing the laser scanner location, demonstrating its potential in the construction industry.
What elements in the physician‐patient relationship (PPR) contribute to patient satisfaction: Development of a short form PPRS‐Patient Version (PPRS‐Patient SF) Questionnaire
Authors: Drossman Douglas A. , Palsson Olafur , Stein Ellen , Ruddy Johannah , Lennon Anne Marie O'Broin
Published: June 2021

Background

Past research suggests that patient‐provider relationships play a crucial role in patient satisfaction with their medical care. However, the essential relationship elements responsible for this effect have not been elucidated and were examined in this study.

Methods

Patients in six gastroenterology clinics at a major medical center completed an anonymous, secure Internet survey about their medical care after a clinic visit. The survey included the validated Satisfaction With Care Scale‐37 (SAT‐37) and Patient‐Physician Relationship Scale (PPRS). Correlations between those scales were calculated, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by regression analysis was used to create a PPRS Short Form (PPRS‐SF) specifically to account for satisfaction with care.

Key results

173 patients (114 females and 59 males; mean age 49.2 years) completed the survey. A range of specific patient‐doctor relationship aspects on the PPRS substantially influenced the patients' satisfaction scores. These are grouped into five EFA‐derived patient perception factors about their physicians: Competence, Connection, Professionalism, Considerateness, and Willingness/ability to make needed outside referrals. A brief 12‐item PPRS‐SF questionnaire was constructed that explained 63% of the variance in patients' satisfaction with their care. In contrast, the patients' clinical and demographic characteristics had little explanatory value regarding their satisfaction.

Conclusions & Inferences

Our findings strongly support the notion that the patient‐physician relationship's quality is the principal driver of gastroenterology patients' satisfaction with their care. The new PPRS‐SF is a convenient tool for clinicians and healthcare systems to assess the essential relationship factors that ensure satisfied patients.
Esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction
Authors: Bredenoord Albert J. , Babaei Arash , Carlson Dustin , Omari Taher , Akiyama Jun , Yadlapati Rena , Pandolfino John E. , Richter Joel , Fass Ronnie
Published: June 2021

In the Chicago Classification version 4.0 (CCv4), esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) is manometrically defined as an elevated median integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) and elevated intrabolus pressure (IBP) during supine wet swallows, and persistently elevated median IRP in the upright position. A clinically relevant conclusive diagnosis of EGJOO requires a manometric diagnosis of EGJOO and associated symptoms such as dysphagia and/or chest pain with at least one of the following supportive investigations (pharmacologic provocation, timed barium esophagogram, and/or endoflip). The Chicago Classification is intended for diagnosis of primary esophageal motor disorders, and thus history and endoscopic evaluation are important to exclude conditions (eg, previous surgery, strictures, or masses) that can secondarily generate the EGJOO pattern on HRM. While a manometric finding of EGJOO is often made and can be an early sign of achalasia, more often it is a manometric finding without clinical implications. The proposed changes in CC4.0 have attempted to make the diagnosis more specific, in order to reduce the number of clinically irrelevant diagnoses and avoid confusion by patients and physicians alike.
To blow the whistle in Brazil: The impact of gender and public service motivation
Authors: Tavares Gustavo M. , Lima Fabiana V. , Michener Gregory
Published: June 2021

Given weak protections for whistleblowers in Brazil – a country with over one million federal civil servants and a well‐known history of corruption scandals – how common is whistleblowing? This study presents results from a survey completed by 652 federal civil servants in Brazil. Examining the incidence of wrongdoing, whistleblowing, and retaliation, as well as the role of gender and public service motivation (PSM), we find that women tend to report wrongdoing less often than men, are less willing to engage in subsequent acts of whistleblowing, and experience more retaliation. Similar to previous studies, PSM is positively related to whistleblowing and retaliation diminishes intentions to engage in subsequent whistleblowing. Unlike previous studies, we find that PSM is more predictive of whistleblowing for women than for men. In contributing new findings to research on whistleblowing in lower to middle‐income democracies, this paper contains important policy implications, particularly on the critical question of gender.
Refugees and Covid‐19: Beyond Health Risks to Insecurity
Authors: Bohnet Heidrun , Rüegger Seraina
Published: June 2021

The Covid‐19 pandemic severely threatens refugees: Most refugees live in developing countries with poor health care systems, the lockdowns left many refugees without income, border closures prevented forced migrants from their right to seek asylum and anti‐refugee sentiment as well as insecurity in refugee settlements increased. Building on past refugee research and reports on refugee‐related challenges during the Covid‐19 crisis, we explain how bad sanitation, inadequate accommodation, additional restrictions of movement and employment and language barriers increase grievances among refugees and tensions between refugees and host populations. Particularly in large and overcrowded settlements these issues can lead to violent conflict, as we demonstrate with a case study of the Moria refugee camp in Greece. Yet, the impact of Covid‐19 on refugees generally lacks politicization, and many governments are reluctant or unable to provide adequate housing and sanitation to refugees. We present policy recommendations for improving refugee protection amidst Covid‐19, including not only the prevention of further spread of the virus but also that of insecurity.
Reallocation model in land consolidation using multi‐objective particle swarm optimization dealing with landowners' rights
Authors: Bijandi Mehrdad , Karimi Mohammad , Farhadi Bansouleh Bahman , van der Knaap Wim
Published: June 2021

In conventional reallocation, farmers' preferences are used to determine the location of their new parcels in predetermined blocks. The most common conflict that can arise during this process is that demand may be high for some blocks. The manner of resolving such disputes, which deal directly with landowners' rights, can affect the success or failure of land consolidation projects. In this study, a novel model for land reallocation is proposed which is based on the principle that the initial situation of the landowner's parcels before land consolidation will be comparable with the new situation that includes all of his/her rights. For this, a spatial similarity‐based approach was proposed, taking into account geometric, ownership, physical, and locational criteria. Then, the agricultural land reallocation model (LR‐MOPSO) was developed using the multi‐objective particle swarm algorithm. Three objectives were defined: (1) simultaneous consideration of farmers' priority and spatial similarity criteria; (2) pooling of farmers' fragmented parcels; and (3) optimal placement of parcels within the block. The LR‐MOPSO model was applied to an Iranian case study and results were compared with a conventional approach. With this model decision‐makers in land consolidation projects will be able to redistribute parcels in a more transparent way, while dealing with landowners' rights.
Velocity and Acceleration Analysis of Plane and Space Mechanisms by Means of Independent-Position Equations
Authors: Raven Francis H.
Published: June 2021

This paper presents a generalized analytical method for the determination of velocities and accelerations in mechanisms having motion in either two or three dimensions. In this method of analysis, one first obtains independent-position equations for a particular point or for a particular link. The first derivative with respect to time of these position equations yields equations for obtaining the velocity of the point or the angular velocity of the link of interest; and the second derivative with respect to time furnishes new equations from which the desired accelerations may be found. Position vectors are expressed as complex numbers in exponential form because of the ease with which they may be differentiated, and also because numerical results are readily obtainable from the real and imaginary parts of the complex numbers.