bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asynchronized cell division in embryo‐like fossils from the Ediacaran Zhenba microfossil assemblage
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Zhang Xingliang , Liu Cong
Published: October 2022

Ediacaran embryo‐like spherical fossils exhibit diverse cell adhesion patterns resembling partial cleavage‐stage embryos of living animals. Two three‐celled specimens characterized by a pair of small cells overlying a large cell have been recovered from the Ediacaran Zhenba microfossil assemblage. Their cell adhesion pattern is highly comparable to a phenomenon reported from the Weng'an biota that was interpreted as fossil embryos undergoing discoidal cleavage. However, our specimens contain fewer cells and thus probably represent developmental precursors of the Weng'an counterparts. Additionally, new material shows several anatomical features that are inconsistent with an embryo interpretation, including (1) an unusually large volume of “blastomeres,” (2) a putative nucleus preserved within the large “yolk cell,” and (3) completely separated cells. Collectively, the Zhenba embryo‐like specimens permit a reconstruction of the consecutive developmental sequence from single‐celled individuals to the three‐celled individuals, leading us to interpret the newly found specimens as products of abnormal development of Ediacaran embryo‐like organisms whose affinity remains unresolved.
Climatic origin of provenances of Corymbia calophylla affects canker disease susceptibility, caused by Quambalaria coyrecup, and interactions with drought stress
Authors: Hossain Mohitul , Veneklaas Erik , Hardy Giles , Poot Pieter
Published: October 2022

Many forest ecosystems are in decline around the world due to increasing biotic and abiotic stresses. Marri (Corymbia calophylla) is an endemic and common eucalypt species of southwestern Australia, which is in decline primarily due to stem canker caused by the pathogenic fungus Quambalaria coyrecup. This study determined to what extent disease susceptibility and plant growth were associated with climate at origin for eight provenances of marri. Plants of all provenances were grown in a common garden with or without pathogen inoculation. Disease development and physiological performance of plants were monitored during an initial irrigated and subsequent terminal drought period. Provenances from drier regions were more susceptible to the fungal pathogen than those from wetter regions, having on average 31% higher incidence rates at 20 days post‐inoculation (dpi) and larger canker lesions at 130 dpi (on average 49% increase) and 230 dpi (on average 42% increase). However, canker development for each provenance was fastest during the initial irrigated wetter growing period. Overall, the average relative canker growth rate was 4‐fold higher during the irrigated period compared to the terminal drought period (p < .001). There were no significant differences between the provenances in leaf water status, photosynthetic rates, or relative growth rates (p > .05). Canker infection reduced both photosynthetic rates and growth rates but only during the later part of the terminal drought period, with significant (p < .05) reductions observed in two out of eight provenances, when plants had relatively large canker sizes. This effect tended to be strongest in the provenances from drier regions as they had relatively larger canker sizes than the provenances from wetter regions. We propose that the increased susceptibility of drier provenances is related to their lower exposure to the pathogen in their drier habitats. Since this is potentially due to suboptimal defence responses, using provenances from drier locations to ‘future‐proof’ local restoration outcomes in a drying climate may be counterproductive due to plant–pathogen interactions.
Graphiola phoenicis associated with false smut on Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) in Korea
Authors: Sung Han‐Jung , Park Ji‐Hyun , Lee Yeong‐Don , Shin Hyeon‐Dong , Lee Sang Hyun
Published: October 2022

Leaf spots and smut‐like symptoms have been observed on the Canary Island date palm Phoenix canariensis in Korea since 2021. The fungus associated with the false smut was identified as Graphiola phoenicis based on the morphological characteristics and molecular sequence analysis of the large subunit region of the rDNA. This study reports the novel occurrence of G. phoenicis on P. canariensis in Korea and provides mycological information of the Korean isolates.
Measuring inflation expectations in interwar Britain
Authors: Lennard Jason , Meinecke Finn , Solomou Solomos
Published: October 2022

What caused the recovery from the British Great Depression? A leading explanation – the ‘expectations channel’ – suggests that a shift in expected inflation lowered real interest rates and stimulated consumption and investment. However, few studies have measured, or tested the economic consequences of, inflation expectations. In this paper, we collect high‐frequency information from primary and secondary sources to measure expected inflation in the United Kingdom between the wars. A high‐frequency vector autoregression suggests that inflation expectations were an important source of the early stages of economic recovery in interwar Britain.
Beyond seizure freedom: Dissecting long‐term seizure control after surgical resection for drug‐resistant epilepsy
Authors: Hsieh Jason K. , Pucci Francesco G. , Sundar Swetha J. , Kondylis Efstathios , Sharma Akshay , Sheikh Shehryar R. , Vegh Deborah , Moosa Ahsan N. , Gupta Ajay , Najm Imad , Rammo Richard , Bingaman William , Jehi Lara
Published: October 2022

Objective

This study was undertaken to better understand the long‐term palliative and disease‐modifying effects of surgical resection beyond seizure freedom, including frequency reduction and both late recurrence and remission, in patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy.

Methods

This retrospective database‐driven cohort study included all patients with >9 years of follow‐up at a single high‐volume epilepsy center. We included patients who underwent lobectomy, multilobar resection, or lesionectomies for drug‐resistant epilepsy; we excluded patients who underwent hemispherectomies. Our main outcomes were (1) reduction in frequency of disabling seizures (at 6 months, each year up to 9 years postoperatively, and at last follow‐up), (2) achievement of seizure remission (>6 months, >1 year, and longest duration), and (3) seizure freedom at last follow‐up.

Results

We included 251 patients; 234 (93.2%) achieved 6 months and 232 (92.4%) experienced 1 year of seizure freedom. Of these, the average period of seizure freedom was 10.3 years. A total of 182 (72.5%) patients were seizure‐free at last follow‐up (defined as >1 year without seizures), with a median 11.9 years since remission. For patients not completely seizure‐free, the mean seizure frequency reduction at each time point was 76.2%, and ranged from 66.6% to 85.0%. Patients decreased their number of antiseizure medications on average by .58, and 53 (21.2%) patients were on no antiseizure medication at last follow‐up. Nearly half (47.1%) of those seizure‐free at last follow‐up were not seizure‐free immediately postoperatively.

Significance

Patients who continue to have seizures after resection often have considerable reductions in seizure frequency, and many are able to achieve seizure freedom in a delayed manner.
Dysregulation of cellular membrane homeostasis as a crucial modulator of cancer risk
Authors: Erazo‐Oliveras Alfredo , Muñoz‐Vega Mónica , Salinas Michael L. , Wang Xiaoli , Chapkin Robert S.
Published: October 2022

Cellular membranes serve as an epicentre combining extracellular and cytosolic components with membranous effectors, which together support numerous fundamental cellular signalling pathways that mediate biological responses. To execute their functions, membrane proteins, lipids and carbohydrates arrange, in a highly coordinated manner, into well‐defined assemblies displaying diverse biological and biophysical characteristics that modulate several signalling events. The loss of membrane homeostasis can trigger oncogenic signalling. More recently, it has been documented that select membrane active dietaries (MADs) can reshape biological membranes and subsequently decrease cancer risk. In this review, we emphasize the significance of membrane domain structure, organization and their signalling functionalities as well as how loss of membrane homeostasis can steer aberrant signalling. Moreover, we describe in detail the complexities associated with the examination of these membrane domains and their association with cancer. Finally, we summarize the current literature on MADs and their effects on cellular membranes, including various mechanisms of dietary chemoprevention/interception and the functional links between nutritional bioactives, membrane homeostasis and cancer biology.
Heat‐triggered thermo‐irreversible gelation of curdlan to control crystallisation and in vitro release of nobiletin
Authors: Li Mengchen , Wang Yueming , Guo Dashan , Zhu Kongdi , Zhang Jiajia , Rong Yujuan , Liang Hongshan , Zhou Bin
Published: October 2022

Many kinds of flavonoids with poor water solubility and high crystallisation properties tend to crystallise in the system, which negatively affects their processing, storage and bioavailability. Hence, controlling crystal growth is an effective pathway to achieve stabilisation. Inspired by the properties of heat‐triggered gelation of curdlan (Cur), the nobiletin (NOB) supersaturated solution was mixed with Cur gel under heating treatment, following which the formation of Cur gel might control NOB crystallisation process in situ. The results showed that different proportions of Cur could change the size of the crystals, of which a concentration higher than 4% could better control the crystallisation of NOB. The effect on texture and rheological properties after the addition of NOB was investigated in detail. Finally, in vitro release experiments showed that the gel played a great role in sustained release, greatly improving the release efficiency compared with pure NOB samples. Taken together, this study proposes a simple stabilisation method that initially attempts to overcome some of the bottlenecks in storage and processing of hydrophobic substances.
Life during furlough: Challenges to dignity from a changed employment status
Authors: Hamilton Peter , Harness Oonagh , Griffin Martyn
Published: October 2022

In response to the COVID‐19 virus, the UK government introduced the Job Retention Scheme in March 2020. The scheme, a novelty in the United Kingdom, provided income support to those furloughed from work. In this paper, we examine how individuals in several occupations and organisations experienced furlough and how they were treated during this enforced period of work absence. Beyond describing their experiences during the furlough, we examine how these experiences threatened and challenged their sense of dignity. Experientially we report on furlough as a time that elicited both delight and despair. The analysis of dignity relates to how treatment based on their employment status rendered many employees marginalised and cast adrift.
Nurses' emotional exhaustion: Prevalence, psychosocial risk factors and association to sick leave depending on care setting—A quantitative secondary analysis
Authors: Petersen Julia , Wendsche Johannes , Melzer Marlen
Published: October 2022

Aims

To explore differences in the prevalence, psychosocial risk factors and the connection to annual sick leave of nurses' emotional exhaustion depending on the care setting.

Design

Quantitative study.

Methods

We conducted a secondary data analysis of a cross‐sectional, representative survey with German nurses (BIBB/BAuA‐Employment Survey 2018). We analysed data from three groups of nurses (hospital care HC: n = 333, nursing homes NH: n = 143, home health care HHC: n = 109). We calculated prevalence estimates for all psychosocial risk factors and emotional exhaustion and utilized Χ2‐tests to explore differences relating to the care setting. We calculated risk estimates using logistic regression analyses.

Results

Forty‐four per cent of all nurses reported symptoms of emotional exhaustion. Care settings did not affect prevalence estimates (HC: 45.3%, NH: 37.8%, HHC: 50.5%). Weekend work was a risk factor for exhaustion. Being at the limit of efficiency was the only work‐related psychosocial risk factor being independent of the care setting. Emotional demands were a significant risk factor for nurses working in HC and NH, and low team cooperation was a risk factor for nurses working in NH. Nurses' emotional exhaustion is associated with more sick leave days.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of nurses' emotional exhaustion is independent of the care setting. This threatens nurses' health and negatively affects the organization and society due to the relation to sick leave. Weekend work and quantitative demands relate to exhaustion independently of the care context. Emotional demands and low team cooperation show context‐specific correlations.

Impact

Organizational interventions that limit quantitative demands are needed to prevent exhaustion among nurses. In HC and NH, measures are needed to improve coping with emotional demands and to strengthen team cooperation. Policymakers and nursing managers should take action to address nurses' emotional exhaustion.

No Patient or Public Contribution

Due to the study design.
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and modifiable risk factors in patients with Crohn's disease: A prospective observational study
Authors: Fletcher Jane , Brown Michaela , Hewison Martin , Swift Amelia , Cooper Sheldon C.
Published: October 2022

Aims

To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in adults with Crohn's Disease (CD) in Birmingham, UK (latitude 52.4°N, −1.9°E) and identify modifiable risk factors.

Design/Method

A nurse‐led, single‐centre, prospective study was conducted over 5 months in 2019 and 2020 in outpatients with CD, at a tertiary referral hospital in Birmingham UK. Vitamin D (25OHD) levels were measured at a single timepoint by a dried blood spot sample. Modifiable risk factor data were collected including intake of vitamin D‐containing foods, use of vitamin D supplements, sun exposure and current smoking.

Results

Total 150 participants (53.3% male, 79.3% white British). Vitamin D deficiency (25OHD <50 nmol/L) was found in 53.3%. 32.7% of participants took over‐the‐counter vitamin D supplements and 20.7% used prescribed supplements. We found that diets were generally poor in relation to vitamin D‐rich foods. In terms of sun exposure, few (18%) had visited a sunny country recently, and few (6%) covered their whole body with clothing. Most used High Sun Protection Factor (80%) with a median grade of SPF 45.

Conclusion

Patients with CD are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency as defined by 25OHD < 50 nmol/L, with the prevalence of deficiency being highest during the winter months. Patients with CD in the UK are unlikely to maintain vitamin D levels from sunlight exposure, dietary sources or over‐the‐counter supplements.

Impact

Patients with Crohn's Disease are at high risk of developing vitamin D deficiency but there is little data from the UK at this latitude.

We demonstrate the prevalence and severity of vitamin D deficiency in people with Crohn's Disease in the UK.

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in this group is high and warrants monitoring by nurses and clinical teams. Nurses and clinical teams should consider strategies for vitamin D supplementation in patients with Crohn's Disease.
Subgingival host–microbiome metatranscriptomic changes following scaling and root planing in grade II/III periodontitis
Authors: Duran‐Pinedo Ana E. , Solbiati Jose , Teles Flavia , Frias‐Lopez Jorge
Published: October 2022

Aim

To assess the effects of scaling and root planing (SRP) on the dynamics of gene expression by the host and the microbiome in subgingival plaque samples.

Materials and Methods

Fourteen periodontitis patients were closely monitored in the absence of periodontal treatment for 12 months. During this period, comprehensive periodontal examination and subgingival biofilm sample collection were performed bi‐monthly. After 12 months, clinical attachment level (CAL) data were compiled and analysed using linear mixed models (LMM) fitted to longitudinal CAL measurements for each tooth site. LMM classified the sites as stable (S), progressing (P), or fluctuating (F). After the 12‐month visit, subjects received SRP, and at 15 months they received comprehensive examination and supportive periodontal therapy. Those procedures were repeated at the 18‐month visit, when patients were also sampled. Each patient contributed with one S, one P, and one F site collected at the 12‐ and 18‐month visits. Samples were analysed using Dual RNA‐Sequencing to capture host and bacterial transcriptomes simultaneously.

Results

Microbiome and host response behaviour were specific to the site's progression classification (i.e., S, P, or F). Microbial profiles of pre‐ and post‐treatment samples exhibited specific microbiome changes, with progressing sites showing the most significant changes. Among them, Porphyromonas gingivalis was reduced after treatment, while Fusobacterium nucleatum showed an increase in proportion. Transcriptome analysis of the host response showed that interleukin (IL)‐17, TNF signalling pathways, and neutrophil extracellular trap formation were the primary immune response activities impacted by periodontal treatment.

Conclusions

SRP resulted in a significant “rewiring” of host and microbial activities in the progressing sites, while restructuring of the microbiome was minor in stable and fluctuating sites.
A low‐density single nucleotide polymorphism panel for brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) suitable for exploring genetic diversity at a range of spatial scales
Authors: Osmond Daniel R. , King R. Andrew , Stockley Bruce , Launey Sophie , Stevens Jamie R.
Published: October 2022

The rivers of southern England and northern France which drain into the English Channel contain several genetically unique groups of trout (Salmo trutta L.) that have suffered dramatic declines in numbers over the past 40 years. Knowledge of levels and patterns of genetic diversity is essential for effective management of these vulnerable populations. Using restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) data, we describe the development and characterisation of a panel of 95 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci for trout from this region and investigate their applicability and variability in both target (i.e., southern English) and non‐target trout populations from northern Britain and Ireland. In addition, we present three case studies which demonstrate the utility and resolution of these genetic markers at three levels of spatial separation:(a) between closely related populations in nearby rivers, (b) within a catchment and (c) when determining parentage and familial relationships between fish sampled from a single site, using both empirical and simulated data. The SNP loci will be useful for population genetic and assignment studies on brown trout within the UK and beyond.
Feasibility of production starch/poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) biodegradable materials with microalgal biomass by blown film extrusion
Authors: Gallo‐García Luis Alberto , Peron‐Schlosser Bianca , Carpiné Danielle , de Oliveira Rodolfo Mesquita , Simões Bruno Matheus , Dias Adriana Passos , Yamashita Fabio , Spier Michele Rigon
Published: October 2022

This research aimed to develop blends of corn starch and poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) films by blown film extrusion with the addition of biomass of Chlorella pyrenoidosa (CP). Two ultrasound tracts disrupted CP biomass: ultrasound bath and ultrasonic probe. The influence of CP biomass and disrupted CP biomass on the physical, mechanical, barrier, structural, and thermal properties of starch/PBAT films was evaluated. The film with higher content (5.0%) of CP biomass showed better values in tensile strength (TS) (4.37 MPa) and elongation (88.43%), and lower water vapor permeability (WVP) (5.19 × 10−11 g m−1 s−1 Pa−1) than the film incorporated with disrupted CP biomass. The ultrasound treatment applied to the cell disruption of the microalgae did not present improvements in the properties of the films. In this context, the cell disruption of CP biomass by ultrasound for incorporation into biodegradable films was not feasible. However, it was possible to produce starch/PBAT/microalgae films with potential application as food packaging due to natural bio‐pigmentation's protection system against ultraviolet light.

Practical Applications

Films produced by blown extrusion from starch, PBAT, and CP microalgae biomass have the technological potential to be used as packaging for food products. Starch and PBAT blends are widely studied. The incorporation of PBAT is necessary to confer adequate mechanical properties to the extruded material. The plastic industries already use the blown extrusion method, allowing biodegradable packaging development on an industrial scale.
High‐resolution mapping of 33 years of material stock and population growth in Germany using Earth Observation data
Authors: Schug Franz , Frantz David , Wiedenhofer Dominik , Haberl Helmut , Virág Doris , van der Linden Sebastian , Hostert Patrick
Published: October 2022

Global societal material stock in buildings and infrastructure have accumulated rapidly within the last decades, along with population growth. Recently, an approach for nation‐wide mapping of material stock at 10 m spatial resolution, using freely available and globally consistent Earth Observation (EO) imagery, has been introduced as an alternative to cost‐intensive cadastral data or broad‐scale but thematically limited nighttime light‐based mapping. This study assessed the potential of EO data archives to create spatially explicit time series data of material stock dynamics and their relation to population in Germany, at a spatial resolution of 30 m. We used Landsat imagery with a change‐aftereffect‐trend analysis to derive yearly masks of land surface change from 1985 onward. Those served as an input to an annual reverse calculation of six material stock types and building volume‐based annual gridded population, based on maps for 2018. Material stocks and population in Germany grew by 13% and 4%, respectively, showing highly variable spatial patterns. We found a minimum building stock of ca. 180 t/cap across all municipalities and growth processes characterized by sprawl. A rapid growth of stocks per capita occurred in East Germany after the reunification in 1990, with increased building activity but population decline. Possible over‐ or underestimations of stock growth cannot be ruled out due to methodological assumptions, requiring further research.
CKL2 mediates the crosstalk between abscisic acid and brassinosteroid signaling to promote swift growth recovery after stress in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhao Xiaoyun , Zhang Tianren , Bai Li , Zhao Shuangshuang , Guo Yan , Li Zhen
Published: October 2022

Plants must adapt to the constantly changing environment. Adverse environmental conditions trigger various defensive responses, including growth inhibition mediated by phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). When the stress recedes, plants must transit rapidly from stress defense to growth recovery, but the underlying mechanisms by which plants switch promptly and accurately between stress resistance and growth are poorly understood. Here, using quantitative phosphoproteomics strategy, we discovered that early ABA signaling activates upstream components of brassinosteroid (BR) signaling through CASEIN KINASE 1‐LIKE PROTEIN 2 (CKL2). Further investigations showed that CKL2 interacts with and phosphorylates BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE1 (BRI1), the main BR receptor, to maintain the basal activity of the upstream of BR pathway in plants exposed to continuous stress conditions. When stress recedes, the elevated phosphorylation of BRI1 by CKL2 contributes to the swift reactivation of BR signaling, which results in quick growth recovery. These results suggest that CKL2 plays a critical regulatory role in the rapid switch between growth and stress resistance. Our evidence expands the understanding of how plants modulate stress defense and growth by integrating ABA and BR signaling cascades.
Macroeconomic Effects of Credit Deepening in Latin America
Authors: CARVALHO CARLOS , PASCA NILDA , SOUZA LAURA , ZILBERMAN EDUARDO
Published: October 2022

We augment a standard dynamic general equilibrium model with financial frictions, in order to quantify the macroeconomic effects of the credit deepening process observed in Latin America in the 2000s—most notably in Brazil. In the model, a stylized banking sector intermediates credit from patient households to impatient households and entrepreneurs. Motivated by the Brazilian experience, we allow the credit constraint faced by households to depend on labor income. Our model is designed to isolate the effects of credit deepening through demand‐side channels, and abstracts from potential effects of credit supply on total factor productivity. In the calibrated model, credit deepening generates only modest above‐trend growth in consumption, investment, and GDP. Since Brazil has experienced one of the most intense credit deepening processes in Latin America, we argue the quantitative effects that hinge on the channels captured by the model are unlikely to be sizable elsewhere in Latin America.
Inflation and Welfare in a Competitive Search Equilibrium with Asymmetric Information
Authors: CARBONARI LORENZO , MATTESINI FABRIZIO , WALDMANN ROBERT J.
Published: October 2022

We study an economy characterized by competitive search and asymmetric information. Money is essential. Buyers decide their cash holdings after observing the contracts posted by firms and experience match‐specific preference shocks which remain unknown to sellers. Firms are allowed to post general contracts. In the baseline model with indivisible goods, we show that, when the number of potential buyers is fixed, inflation decreases markups. This, in turn, increases aggregate output andex antewelfare. When goods are divisible the negative effect of inflation on markups holds for unconstrained agents but is ambiguous for constrained agents. Still, optimal monetary policy implies a positive nominal rate. When there is buyers' free entry, asymmetric information causes a congestion effect that can be corrected by monetary policy.
Oil‐based contrast for hysterosalpingography‐regulated Th1/Th2‐type cytokines and alleviated inflammation in rats with LPS‐induced chronic endometritis
Authors: Huang Qiuyan , Yang Yihua , Yuan Lifang , Zhao Yunxiao , Qin Aiping
Published: October 2022

Aim

The chronic endometritis (CE) prevalence in people experiencing infertility is 2.8–56.8%, pregnancy rates in patients with infertility increase after hysterosalpingography with oil‐based contrast, but the effect and mechanism are not clear. Here, we analyzed the effects of intrauterine ethiodized poppyseed oil (EPO) bathing on a rat model of CE and the possible underlying mechanism.

Methods

CE rats were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure, and rats were subjected to intrauterine bathing with EPO or phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) after model verification. Serum and uterus levels of IFN‐γ, IL‐4, TNF‐α, and IL‐1β were detected by ELISA kit, and the number of CD138+ and CD68+ cells and uterine IFN‐γ, IL‐4, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and NF‐κB P65 expression were detected by immunohistochemistry after bathing.

Results

LPS exposure induced the typical CE phenotype with CD138+ phagocyte infiltration of the endometrial stroma. Compared with PBS bathing, bathing with EPO in CE rats showed decreases in the CD138+ and CD68+ cells populations and significant decreases in serum and uterine IFN‐γ levels, moreover, uterine IL‐4 levels were slightly higher, and the IFN‐γ/IL‐4(Th1/Th2‐type cytokine ratio) in the uterus was significantly lower. Local IFN‐γ, TNF‐α, and NF‐κB P65 expression in the endometrium was significantly downregulated, while IL‐4 expression was upregulated.

Conclusion

Intrauterine oil‐based contrast bathing significantly alleviated local inflammation in the rat CE model by downregulating NF‐κB P65 expression, reducing IFN–γ (Th1), increasing IL‐4 levels (Th2) in the endometrium, and regulating the Th1/Th2‐type cytokine trends toward Th2.
The voices of medical education scholarship: Describing the published landscape
Authors: Maggio Lauren A. , Costello Joseph A. , Ninkov Anton Boudreau , Frank Jason R. , Artino Anthony R.
Published: October 2022

Introduction

The voices of authors who publish medical education literature have a powerful impact on the field's discourses. Researchers have identified a lack of author diversity, which suggests potential epistemic injustice. This study investigates author characteristics to provide an evidence‐based starting point for communal discussion with the intent to move medical education towards a future that holds space for, and values, diverse ways of knowing.

Method

The authors conducted a bibliometric analysis of all articles published in 24 medical education journals published between 2000 and 2020 to identify author characteristics, with an emphasis on author gender and geographic location and their intersection. Article metadata was downloaded from Web of Science. Genderize.io was used to predict author gender.

Results

The journals published 37 263 articles authored by 62 708 unique authors. Males were more prevalent across all authorship positions (n = 62 828; 55.7%) than females (n = 49 975; 44.3%). Authors listed affiliations in 146 countries of which 95 were classified as Global South. Few articles were written by multinational teams (n = 3765; 16.2%). Global South authors accounted for 12 007 (11.4%) author positions of which 3594 (3.8%) were female.

Discussion

This study provides an evidence‐based starting point to discuss the imbalance of author voices in medical education, especially when considering the intersection of gender and geographical location, which further suggests epistemic injustice in medical education. If the field values a diversity of perspectives, there is considerable opportunity for improvement by engaging the community in discussions about what knowledge matters in medical education, the role of journals in promoting diversity, how to best use this baseline data and how to continue studying epistemic injustice in medical education.
Brain effect of transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation: A meta‐analysis of neuroimaging evidence
Authors: Rajiah Rebekah , Takahashi Kazuya , Aziz Qasim , Ruffle James K.
Published: October 2022

Background

Dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system is common throughout many functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGIDs) that have been historically difficult to treat. In recent years, transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS) has shown promise for improving FGID symptoms. However, the brain effects of tVNS remain unclear, which we investigated by neuroimaging meta‐analysis.

Methods

A total of 157 studies were identified, 4 of which were appropriate for inclusion, encompassing 60 healthy human participants. Using activation likelihood analysis estimation, we statistically quantified functional brain activity changes across three domains: (1) tVNS vs. null stimulation, (2) tVNS vs. sham stimulation, and (3) sham stimulation vs. null stimulation.

Key Results

tVNS significantly increased activity in the insula, anterior cingulate, inferior and superior frontal gyri, caudate and putamen, and reduced activity in the hippocampi, occipital fusiform gyri, temporal pole, and middle temporal gyri, when compared to null stimulation (all corrected p < 0.005). tVNS increased activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus, left thalamus, caudate, and paracingulate gyrus and reduced activity in right thalamus, posterior cingulate cortex, and temporal fusiform cortex, when compared to sham stimulation (all corrected p < 0.005). Sham stimulation significantly increased activity in the insula and reduced activity in the posterior cingulate and paracingulate gyrus (all corrected p < 0.001), when contrasted to null stimulation.

Conclusions

Brain effects of tVNS localize to regions associated with both physiological autonomic regulation and regions whose activity is modulated across numerous FGIDs, which may provide a neural basis for efficacy of this treatment. Functional activity differences between sham and null stimulation illustrate the importance of robust control procedures for future trials.
Genetic variation in sweet taste receptors and a mechanistic perspective on sweet and fat taste sensation in the context of obesity
Authors: Ponnusamy Vinithra , Subramanian Gowtham , Muthuswamy Karthi , Shanmugamprema Deepankumar , Krishnan Vasanth , Velusamy Thirunavukkarasu , Subramaniam Selvakumar
Published: October 2022

Taste sensation enables humans to make nutritionally important decisions such as food preference and consumption. It functions as deterministic factors for unpropitious eating behavior, leading to overweight and obesity. The hedonistic feeling on consumption of fat and sugar‐rich meals, in particular, has a negative influence on health. In addition, impairment in the taste receptors alters the downstream signaling of taste transduction pathway. Hence, genetic polymorphism in typical taste receptors is a predictor of taste sensitivity variance across individuals. The present review summarizes the effect of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in sweet taste receptors (T1R2/T1R3) on taste perception among individuals of various body mass index (BMI). Furthermore, in the context of obesity, we discussed the possibility of crosstalk between fat and sweet receptors as well as taste dysfunction in diseased individuals. In overall, a greater understanding of the physiological relationship between taste receptors, altered taste sensitivity, and genetic polymorphisms should lead to more effective obesity prevention approaches.
Irregular population cycles driven by environmental stochasticity and saddle crawlbys
Authors: Rubin Jonathan E. , Earn David J. D. , Greenwood Priscilla E. , Parsons Todd L. , Abbott Karen C.
Published: October 2022

Despite considerable study of population cycles, the striking variability of cycle periods in many cyclic populations has received relatively little attention. Mathematical models of cyclic population dynamics have historically exhibited much greater regularity in cycle periods than many real populations, even when accounting for environmental stochasticity. We contend, however, that the recent focus on understanding the impact of long, transient but recurrent epochs within population oscillations points the way to a previously unrecognized means by which environmental stochasticity can create cycle period variation. Specifically, consumer–resource cycles that bring the populations near a saddle point (a combination of population sizes toward which the populations tend, before eventually transitioning to substantially different levels) may be subject to a slow passage effect that has been dubbed a ‘saddle crawlby'. In this study, we illustrate how stochasticity that generates variability in how close predator and prey populations come to saddles can result in substantial variability in the durations of crawlbys and, as a result, in the periods of population cycles. Our work suggests a new mechanistic hypothesis to explain an important factor in the irregular timing of population cycles and provides a basis for understanding when environmental stochasticity is, and is not, expected to generate cyclic dynamics with variability across periods.
Does granting managerial autonomy in exchange for accountability mitigate gaming?
Authors: Han Xu , Wang Weijie
Published: October 2022

To improve organizational performance, the doctrine of performance management states that managers need to be granted autonomy in exchange for accountability for results. However, managers are often held accountable without autonomy in practice. The accountability pressure often causes gaming behaviors. How does granting managerial autonomy in exchange for accountability affect gaming behaviors? To address this question, we investigated how a performance management reform in New York City public schools, the Empowerment Zone, affected two types of gaming behaviors: effort substitution and cream skimming. Utilizing a difference‐in‐differences estimation strategy over multiple periods, we find that the Empowerment Zone experiment mitigates effort substitution and cream skimming in public schools, but the effect is modified by organizational resources. The findings show the potential of fully implementing performance management doctrine in mitigating gaming and suggest that human resources are crucial for realizing the potential.
Reimagining race and gender in public administration and public policy: Insights from an interdisciplinary systematic review
Authors: Pandey Sanjay K. , Smith Amy E. , Pandey Sheela , Ojelabi Olanike A.
Published: October 2022

Public administration scholarship on race and gender is motivated by normative concerns about social equity, and dominated by work on bureaucracy and its representativeness. Despite decades of research on race and gender in public administration, there has been limited engagement with racializing and gendering processes. Relatedly, scant attention is paid to other disciplines that center on race and gender in theorizing. The purpose of this review is to explore public administration scholarship on race and gender in the context of allied social science disciplines, reveal limits of current approaches in public administration, and articulate strategies for enhancing understanding of race and gender in public administration scholarship. We use bibliometric and content analysis methods to map the intellectual structure of social science scholarship on race and gender, highlight public administration's place in this structure, and compare public administration scholarship on race and gender with other social science disciplines.
How to systematically analyze co‐production to inform future policies? Introducing 5Ws of co‐production
Authors: Steiner Artur , Farmer Jane , Yates Sophie , Moran Michael , Carlisle Karen
Published: October 2022

The “woolliness” and “methodological hurdles” of co‐production make it challenging to compare and contrast different co‐production policy initiatives and their outcomes, and distil “what works”, for whom and in what circumstances. Inspired by Nabatchi et al. (2017) 3Ws typology of the Who, When, and What of co‐production, we draw on co‐production theory deriving from a narrative literature review and empirical research of co‐production cases in Scotland and Australia. We propose a new “5Ws” co‐production framework of Who, When, What, Why, and Where, arguing that the context (where) should be an integral part of co‐production analyses as socio‐political, geographical conditions, and service settings influence the processes and outcomes of co‐production, and that the reasons (why) behind co‐production determine who is involved in co‐production. The paper suggests that the 5Ws of co‐production can offer a useful theoretical lens for analyzing a variety of international co‐production cases to inform future policies and practice.
Role of interleukin‐35 in cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Zhang Jialun , Xing Yue
Published: October 2022

Cardiovascular disease represents a complex series of clinical syndromes with multiple aetiologies. Cardiovascular diseases have become one of the most common causes of death among middle‐aged and elderly people worldwide because of their diverse types and wide range of patients. With the development of research in this field, increasing evidence shows that cytokines remain important to address in the beginning, progression and outcome of cardiovascular diseases. The interleukin (IL)‐12 family, which includes IL‐12, IL‐23, IL‐27 and IL‐35, is an important family of cytokines that plays roles in the regulation of chronic inflammation, tumour progression, autoimmune disease and cardiovascular disease. IL‐12 family members have distinct pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory effects and affect the progression of cardiovascular disease all the time. In particular, the novel member of this family IL‐35 has turned out to play a major part in the occurrence and development of various cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction and viral myocarditis. In this review, the source, structure, receptor, signal transduction and biological functions of IL‐35 are summarized with a focus on the relationship with cardiovascular disease. We further discuss the molecular and cellular mechanisms that may be involved in these effects to guide the development of new strategies targeting IL‐35 for the prevention and clinical treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Biases in elections with well‐informed voters: Evidence from public voting for football awards
Authors: Kopkin Nolan , Roberts Andrew
Published: October 2022

Objectives

How much does group membership influence voting behavior? This article adds to existing work by considering a novel context where voting is public and voters are well‐informed.

Methods

The article analyzes public votes in a prominent award for the best football player in the world. It uses ordered probit regressions to assess the extent to which votes by players, coaches, and journalists are related to national, regional, cultural, racial, and religious affinities between voters and candidates controlling for measures of player performance and celebrity.

Results

The estimates indicate that while player performance does matter, a number of group‐based characteristics continue to influence voting. Some of these effects appear to be rooted in incentives—a tendency to vote for co‐nationals and teammates—but others—such as a tendency to vote based on geographical, racial, and religious similarities—are rooted more in group affinities.

Conclusions

The analysis provides relatively strong support for the group‐based theory of democracy championed by Achen and Bartels as opposed to a theory of democracy founded on individual rational choice. The specific case considered suggests that more attention should be given to the composition of juries that choose the winners of prizes.
Strange Aeons: Transhumanism, H.P. Lovecraft, and the affective index of posthuman dread
Authors: Bialecki Jon
Published: October 2022

New technologies open up the possibility of rapid social change the likes of which has not been seen since the appearance of anatomically modern humans: humanity being either substituted by or transformed into a new post‐human species. Such an unprecedented change is difficult to concretely imagine in advance of its occurrence because it would unfold in a heretofore unheralded manner, and due to the speed with which it might happen, the only real indication of being on the cusp of such an even might be ‘affective indexes.’ For various reasons, models based on either Christian apocalyptic literature, the post‐human academic turn, or science fiction are unreliable models of what these ‘affective indexes’ might be like. This essay explores whether horror literature in general and the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, in particular, might serve as models of what such ‘affective indexes’ of such a transformation might be and suggests that senses of disjunctures in scale, of time being ‘out of joint,’ of disturbing problematizations of what constitutes the human, and of religious horror and the sublime may be ways that humanity might anticipate the unthinkable prospect of being replaced.
Understanding patterns and competitions of short‐ and long‐term rental markets: Evidence from London
Authors: Shabrina Zahratu , Morphet Robin
Published: October 2022

In this article, we compare short‐term rental (STR) and long‐term rental (LTR) price patterns in London using one of the most popular STR platforms, Airbnb, and the LTR platform, Zoopla property website. This research aims to enhance our understanding of both LTR and STR price patterns; as well as STR dynamics specifically, using predictive modeling to analyze how the patterns might evolve. We used the coefficient of variation and correlation analysis to examine the rental price patterns of both short‐ and long‐term markets. Then we developed a rent‐based gravity model to predict STR price pattern that is sensitive to the changes in visits to tourist destinations. Based on our analysis, we concluded that: (1) STR prices tend to be higher overall with an indication of higher volatility (less stability) compared to LTR; (2) there is statistical evidence supporting the arguments that STR and LTR markets are indeed in competition; and (3) the proposed gravity model provides a robust prediction of the STR pattern with a characteristic that higher‐priced short‐term properties are found to be geographically concentrated in the core city areas and those surrounding residential areas with easy access to popular tourist attractions.
The ultrasonographic appearance of renal medullary striations and their association with renal disease and renal histopathology in domestic cats
Authors: Bentley Carli , Williams Tim L , Constantino‐Casas Fernando , Genain Marie‐Aude
Published: October 2022

Medullary striations (MS) have been anecdotally observed on ultrasound of feline kidneys; however, their significance is unknown. Aims of this retrospective, case control, pilot study were to describe the appearance, prevalence, and clinicopathological correlates of MS in a referral feline population. Still images from 1247 feline abdominal ultrasound studies performed between 2011 and 2021 were reviewed. Cats with MS were identified and compared with age‐matched controls. Serum urea, creatinine, calcium, phosphate, and calcium‐phosphate‐product, plus urine specific gravity, urine protein: creatinine ratio (UPC), prevalence of active sediment (defined as > 5 red (RBC) or white blood cells (WBC) per high‐power field) and prevalence of positive urine culture were compared between MS and control groups using the Mann–WhitneyUtest or Fisher's Exact test. Data are presented as median [range]. 27 cats were identified as having MS, giving a prevalence of 2.2% with a significantly higher proportion being seen in males (P= 0.018). Medullary striation cats had significantly higher UPC values than controls (0.46 [0.16–7.57] vs. 0.16 [0.07–2.27];P = 0.006). Cats with MS were more likely to have active urinary sediments (39% vs 8%,P = 0.023), but no difference in prevalence of positive urinary cultures was observed between groups. There was no significant difference in other parameters between MS and control cats. Renal histopathology performed in three MS cats revealed focal regions of linear medullary fibrosis. Medullary striations are associated with proteinuria and urinary tract inflammation in cats, which may reflect renal tubular dysfunction and/or inflammation. Hence identification might allow for earlier detection of renal pathology.