bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
India: Developmental challenges faced by a dual economy
Authors: Yang Yuqing
Published: November 2023

With a population of over 1.4 billion surpassing China's in 2023, India has now become the world's most populous country. Despite its robust IT and service sectors propelling it to become the fifth‐largest economy, India still grapples with low GDP per capita and significant poverty. The paradoxical nature of India's development necessitates a closer examination of its governance. Over 90% of the Indian population works outside the purview of formal democratic institutions and capital‐intensive economic sectors. Challenges arise from the need to sustain a large poor population with limited resources while catering to the formal sector that generates more than half of its GDP. India's governance exhibits a deep mismatch between its institutional design, politics and developmental needs. This article explores the duality of informal and formal sectors underlying challenges in Indian governance by way of the Berggruen Governance Index.
Application of linear and machine learning models to genomic prediction of fatty acid composition in Japanese Black cattle
Authors: Nishio Motohide , Inoue Keiichi , Arakawa Aisaku , Ichinoseki Kasumi , Kobayashi Eiji , Okamura Toshihiro , Fukuzawa Yo , Ogawa Shinichiro , Taniguchi Masaaki , Oe Mika , Takeda Masayuki , Kamata Takehiro , Konno Masaru , Takagi Michihiro , Sekiya Mario , Matsuzawa Tamotsu , Inoue Yoshinobu , Watanabe Akihiro , Kobayashi Hiroshi , Shibata Eri , Ohtani Akihumi , Yazaki Ryu , Nakashima Ryotaro , Ishii Kazuo
Published: November 2023

We collected 3180 records of oleic acid (C18:1) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) measured using gas chromatography (GC) and 6960 records of C18:1 and MUFA measured using near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in intermuscular fat samples of Japanese Black cattle. We compared genomic prediction performance for four linear models (genomic best linear unbiased prediction [GBLUP], kinship‐adjusted multiple loci [KAML], BayesC, and BayesLASSO) and five machine learning models (Gaussian kernel [GK], deep kernel [DK], random forest [RF], extreme gradient boost [XGB], and convolutional neural network [CNN]). For GC‐based C18:1 and MUFA, KAML showed the highest accuracies, followed by BayesC, XGB, DK, GK, and BayesLASSO, with more than 6% gain of accuracy by KAML over GBLUP. Meanwhile, DK had the highest prediction accuracy for NIRS‐based C18:1 and MUFA, but the difference in accuracies between DK and KAML was slight. For all traits, accuracies of RF and CNN were lower than those of GBLUP. The KAML extends GBLUP methods, of which marker effects are weighted, and involves only additive genetic effects; whereas machine learning methods capture non‐additive genetic effects. Thus, KAML is the most suitable method for breeding of fatty acid composition in Japanese Black cattle.
What counts as STEM, and does it matter?
Authors: Adler Rebecca M. , Xu Mingkai , Rittle‐Johnson Bethany
Published: November 2023

Background

To accurately measure students' science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) career interest, researchers must get inside the ‘black box’ to understand students' conceptualizations of STEM careers.

Aims

The aim of Study 1 was to explore whether students' conceptualizations of STEM included medical careers. The aim of Study 2 was to explore whether predictors of STEM career interest (e.g., gender and motivation) varied by STEM definition (inclusion/exclusion of medical careers).

Samples

In Study 1, the sample was US college students (N = 125) who were mostly White (80%). In Study 2, the sample was US 10th‐grade high school students (N = 455) who were mostly Black (79%).

Methods

In Study 1, students completed an online questionnaire. In Study 2, students completed various measures of math achievement, motivation (science and math expectancies of success, interest and importance value) and career interest with an importance.

Results

In Study 1, medical careers were less often classified as STEM careers than traditional STEM careers, but more often classified as STEM than non‐STEM careers. In Study 2, science importance value was the only motivational predictor of students' STEM+Medicine career interest, and no motivation constructs predicted traditional STEM career interest. Boys expressed greater interest in traditional STEM careers, while girls expressed greater interest in STEM+Medicine careers.

Conclusions

Students' conceptualizations of STEM are not binary. Thus, we recommend researchers are explicit about their definition of STEM with study participants, in their coding and in their publications.
A prospective phase II clinical trial/IDEAL Stage 2a series of single‐port robotic colorectal surgery for abdominal and transanal cases
Authors: Marks John H. , Yang Jane , Spitz Elizabeth M. , Salem Jean , Agarwal Samir , de Paula Thais Reif , Schoonyoung Henry P. , Keller Deborah S.
Published: November 2023

Aim

Slow laparoscopy adoption accelerated the uptake of robotic surgery. However, the current robotic platforms have limitations in transanal applications and multiple port sites. The da Vinci single‐port (SP) robot is currently used on trial for colorectal surgery, and broad assessment of outcomes is needed. We aimed to report findings of a phase II clinical trial of SP robotic colorectal surgery.

Methods

A sequentially reported prospective case series was performed on patients using SP robotics at a tertiary referral centre from 1 October 2018 to 31 August 2021. Cases were stratified into abdominal and transanal cohorts. Demographics, intra‐operative variables and 30‐day postoperative outcomes were evaluated. Univariate analysis was performed, with statistical process control for the docking process. Main outcomes were conversion rates, morbidity, mortality and point of standardization of docking.

Results

In all, 133 patients were included: 93 (69.92%) abdominal and 40 (30.08%) transanal. The main diagnosis was rectal cancer (n = 59) and the procedure performed a robotic transanal abdominal transanal radical proctosigmoidectomy (n = 30). There were no conversions to open surgery. Two abdominal (2.15%) and three transanal cases (7.50%) were converted to laparoscopy. All colorectal adenocarcinomas had negative margins, proper lymph node harvest and complete mesorectal excision, as appropriate. Docking became a standardized process at cases 34 (abdominal) and 23 (anorectal). After surgery, bowel function returned on mean day 2 (abdominal) and 1 (transanal). The morbidity rate was 15.05% (abdominal) and 27.50% (transanal). There were two major morbidities in each cohort. Overall, there were three (2.65%) readmissions, one reoperation and no mortality.

Conclusions

Single‐port robotics is feasible for all types of colorectal procedures, with good clinical and oncological outcomes. With this development in colorectal surgery, further studies can develop best practices with this novel technology.
Low optimal fisheries yield creates challenges for sustainability in a climate refugia
Authors: McClanahan T. R. , Kosgei J. K.
Published: November 2023

Reducing resource depletion and promoting ecosystem‐based management are considered key climate change adaptation policies. Therefore, the resource status of an identified climate refugia in a semi‐enclosed bay on the Kenya–Tanzania border was evaluated for sustainability. Both fisheries stock and catch assessment methods found low production and excess effort. Stock recovery in closures (up to 45 years) determined the best‐fit r and K values, which established a maximum sustainable production (MSY) of 2.98 ± 0.45 (SEM) tons/km2/year. Stock estimates in the bays' fishing grounds indicated that biomass was below the MSY and predicted to produce 1.8 ± 1.0 (SEM) or 1.1 ton/km2/year below the optimal MSY. However, landed fish at five studied fishing villages varied greatly from 0.22 to 2.9 tons/km2/year. MSY in the refugia was therefore considerably lower than estimates in nearby ocean‐exposed locations, which has been estimated at 5–7 tons/km2/year. Therefore, low to modest capture rates of fish will be required to allow the recovery needed to achieve sustainability and restore the refugia's ecology. The refugia's highest stocks and near‐MSY yields were captured in the national reserve. Therefore, broader implementation of the reserve's gear‐restriction policies should restore fisheries. High spatial variability in yield patterns indicate interactions between fisheries management, compliance, trade connections, and governance. In climate refugia, reducing cumulative impacts will require knowing and managing for lower fisheries production limits.
Dynare replication of “A Model of Secular Stagnation: Theory and Quantitative Evaluation” by Eggertsson et al. (2019)
Authors: Crescentini Alex , Giri Federico
Published: November 2023

This paper replicates the study “A Model of Secular Stagnation: Theory and Quantitative Evaluation” by Eggertsson et al. using the Dynare toolkit. Replication is important as it confirms the results of the original article, provides a user‐friendly version using Dynare, and shows how to deal with large‐scale models with occasionally binding constraints. The results show that the original Matlab code was fully replicated, but minor discrepancies were found between the paper's equations and the code. The two models produce similar dynamics but with small differences, particularly at the beginning of the simulation.
Care‐driven informality: The case of community transport
Authors: Ravensbergen Léa , Schwanen Tim
Published: November 2023

Nation‐wide cuts to bus subsidies have led to reduced service in rural communities in the UK, leaving those who do not have access to a car – most of whom are older, have a disability, or have a low income – with few other options to meet their travel needs. This has resulted in greater demand on community transport, small‐scale, local, and community‐based transport schemes that are run by the not‐for‐profit sector and are primarily volunteer‐run. Drawing on 28 interviews conducted with volunteers and staff from community transport schemes across Oxfordshire, this paper describes the provision of community transport schemes at the intersection of informal transport and an ethics of care. This sector is posited as informal, however; unlike many informal transport schemes, community transport is non‐entrepreneurial. Instead, these schemes emerge from the community and are care‐driven. Volunteers who run these schemes all provide skilled labour that is a practice of caring about, caring for, or care giving. This framing highlights the undervaluing of community transport. Indeed, the labour and schemes are underfunded and lack recognition. This study therefore emphasises the socio‐political nature of community transport and shows the importance of supporting caring transport services. It concludes by discussing how this undervalued sector might be re‐valorised so that it can continue to support those with few other transport options.
‘A whole new world …’: Exploring transcarceral habitus and women's transition from a closed to an open prison
Authors: Waite Sarah
Published: November 2023

This article examines women's experiences of moving from a closed to an open prison in England. Transition to an open prison is often viewed in a positive, reformist light and although androcentric auto‐ethnographical work has demonstrated challenges associated with this pivot when serving a long‐term sentence, much less is known about the experiences of women. Using interview discussions, this article draws upon the concept of transcarceral habitus to examine experiences of transfer and adaptation to the open prison within the broader context of the lives of criminalised women. By extending our understanding of the women's open prison as a site of punishment and recognising the connections and pluralities of women's carceral experiences, this article seeks to disrupt unhelpful binaries that legitimise the incarceration of women and the open prison estate.
Migratory flows and pandemic: An analysis of impacts on immigrants of foreign origin in Spain
Authors: Bayona‐i‐Carrasco Jordi , Domingo Andreu
Published: November 2023

Restrictions on mobility as a measure to contain the COVID‐19 pandemic meant, in the case of Spain, an abrupt ending to what could be called the second international migratory boom. At the same time, internal migrations underwent considerable change, with cities becoming less attractive as a destination for migrants, and increased flows into rural areas. In this context, our aim is twofold. First, it is to describe and analyse the decline in international migration according to origin and, second, to analyse internal migration among the population of immigrant origin. The results point to a temporary steep downturn in international flows, which does not affect all origins equally. In the case of internal migrations, there is a slight reduction in the intensity of movements with patterns similar to those of the autochthonous population. However, this drop in numbers is very significant among Asians and barely noticeable among immigrants from Latin America.
Estimating the value of repositioning timing to streamline pressure injury prevention efforts in nursing homes: A cost‐effectiveness analysis of the ‘TEAM‐UP’ clinical trial
Authors: Padula William V. , Crawford Samuel A. , Kennerly Susan M. , Yap Tracey L.
Published: November 2023

Pressure injury (PrI) prevention guidelines recommend 2‐h repositioning intervals in healthcare settings, requiring significant nursing time investment. We analysed the cost‐effectiveness of PrI prevention protocols with 2‐, 3‐ and 4‐h repositioning intervals in US nursing homes according to ‘Turn Everyone and Move for Ulcer Prevention’ (TEAM‐UP) randomized controlled trial findings. Markov modelling compared 2‐, 3‐ and 4‐h repositioning intervals, controlling for other practice guidelines, to prevent PrIs in nursing home residents from a US health sector perspective over one year using TEAM‐UP trial data for model structure, sampling and parameterization. Costs, captured in 2020 US dollars, and quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) were used to derive an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio and net monetary benefit (NMB) at $50 000/QALY‐$150 000/QALY cost‐effectiveness thresholds. Sensitivity analyses tested model uncertainty. Repositioning intervals between 3 and 4 h were cost‐effective based on reduced costs at slightly lower QALYs than 2 h at a $50 000/QALY threshold, and the NMB of 4‐h repositioning was also more efficient than at 3 h ($9610). Repositioning labour cost and prevention routines were among the most sensitive parameters. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that 3‐ and 4‐h intervals were cost‐effective in over 65% of simulations at any cost‐effectiveness threshold. Repositioning intervals of 3 to 4 h have potential to reduce nursing time costs without significant decrements in clinical benefits to nursing home residents. Clinical guidelines for PrI prevention should be updated to reflect TEAM‐UP clinical and economic findings. Facilities can use cost‐savings recuperated from nursing time to deploy to other patient safety priorities without seriously jeopardizing PrI safety.
Numerical studies on thermal processing of solid, liquid, and solid–liquid food products: A comprehensive analysis
Authors: Das Soumadip , Baro Rajani Kant , Kotecha Prakash , Anandalakshmi R.
Published: November 2023

This article uses the computational fluid dynamics approach to analyze the thermal processing of solid, liquid, and solid–liquid food products. To understand the underlying transport phenomena, microbial deactivation, and nutrient degradation, three food products, viz. lamb (solid), grapefruit juice (liquid), and paneer cubes in a brine solution (solid–liquid), are studied. The food products are processed under constant retort temperature for fixed durations of heating and cooling. The numerical models are solved to obtain the velocity and temperature distribution inside the food products. The solid food exhibits a low heating rate at the slowest heating zone due to the absence of convection. The solid–liquid food shows uniform microbial destruction with a standard deviation of 2.27 min in the lethality distribution. The maximum possible average retention of nutrients is 90.36% (at 80°C and 59.81 min) and 60.64% (at 125°C and 21.30 min) for liquid and solid–liquid foods, respectively. However, the average thiamine retention in solid food monotonically decreases in the temperature range of 120–140°C.

Practical Applications

The computational fluid dynamics approach offers practical applications in optimizing food processing parameters, improving thermal processing equipment, and preserving nutrient quality in diverse food products. The analysis of the velocity and temperature distribution enables the design of more efficient heating and cooling methods, assisting food processors in determining the ideal duration and temperature to achieve microbial destruction while minimizing nutrient degradation. Furthermore, this approach facilitates the evaluation and enhancement of thermal processing equipment by identifying areas of slow heating or inadequate heat transfer, ultimately leading to improved design and more uniform processing. Understanding nutrient retention during thermal processing is vital for maintaining nutritional quality. The findings of this work could be applied to develop guidelines for preserving nutrients in specific food products. In summary, the computational fluid dynamics approach enhances food safety by optimizing processing parameters, improving equipment design, and preserving nutrients in solid, liquid, and solid–liquid food products.
An analysis of placental chorionic villous and decidual basalis tissue immunoreactivity in patients after cesarean section due to a placenta accreta spectrum disorder and elective cesarean section followed by the depressed mood
Authors: Dutsch‐Wicherek Magdalena Maria , Bączkowska Monika , Knafel Anna , Sadowski Piotr , Gałązka Krystyna , Lew‐Starowicz Michał
Published: November 2023

An analysis of placental chorionic villous and decidual basalis tissue immunoreactivity in patients after cesarean section due to a placenta accreta spectrum disorder and elective cesarean section followed by a depressed mood.

Research Background

Over the past few years, interest in investigating immune dysfunction in patients with psychiatric disorders has increased. B7‐H4 is a molecule with immunosuppressive properties that seems to play a key role in establishing maternal tolerance against fetal antigens. The aim of this study was to compare the B7‐H4 immunoreactivity levels in patients after cesarean section.

Methods

Placental and decidual tissue samples were obtained from 49 women who delivered at Bielański Hospital in Warsaw between 2009 and 2015. Fifteen of the patients developed postpartum depression and 14 had a diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum. The control group consisted of 20 healthy patients on whom cesarean section was performed due to breech presentation at term.

Results

The highest levels of B7‐H4 immunoreactivity were found in the placental chorionic villous and decidual basalis tissue samples of the patients who later developed postpartum depression, while the lowest levels were found in the samples of those patients with a placenta accreta spectrum disorder. The difference between the B7‐H4 immunoreactivity levels of these two groups was statistically significant. The B7‐H4 expression levels were statistically significantly higher in the women in the postpartum depression group than in the control group.

Conclusion

Postpartum depression follows a disturbance of the suppressive milieu responsible for rebalancing the maternal immune system after the initial cytotoxic activation during labor.
Why and when newcomer career consultation behaviour attracts career mentoring from supervisors: A sociometer explanation of supervisors' perspective
Authors: Wang Ying , Zheng Yuyan , Wu Chia‐Huei , Wu Wen , Xia Yuhuan
Published: November 2023

Drawing from the perspective of sociometer theory, we posit that the career consultation behaviour of newcomers can bolster supervisors' organization‐based self‐esteem (OBSE), thereby increasing their access to career mentoring from supervisors. Additionally, we suggest that the impact of newcomers' career consultation behaviour on supervisors' OBSE will be more pronounced among individuals with a higher power distance orientation. A time‐lagged, four‐phase data collection involving 238 newcomer–supervisor dyads supported this moderated mediation effect. The results indicate that newcomers' career consultation behaviour contributes to supervisors' OBSE, particularly for those with higher power distance orientations compared to their counterparts with lower power distance orientations. Subsequently, this is positively associated with supervisors' career mentoring as reported by newcomers. The implications of this study are discussed in the context of existing literature on newcomer socialization and mentoring.
Microdiverse bacterial clades prevail across Antarctic wetlands
Authors: Quiroga María V. , Stegen James C. , Mataloni Gabriela , Cowan Don , Lebre Pedro H. , Valverde Angel
Published: November 2023

Antarctica's extreme environmental conditions impose selection pressures on microbial communities. Indeed, a previous study revealed that bacterial assemblages at the Cierva Point Wetland Complex (CPWC) are shaped by strong homogeneous selection. Yet which bacterial phylogenetic clades are shaped by selection processes and their ecological strategies to thrive in such extreme conditions remain unknown. Here, we applied the phyloscore and feature‐level βNTI indexes coupled with phylofactorization to successfully detect bacterial monophyletic clades subjected to homogeneous (HoS) and heterogenous (HeS) selection. Remarkably, only the HoS clades showed high relative abundance across all samples and signs of putative microdiversity. The majority of the amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) within each HoS clade clustered into a unique 97% sequence similarity operational taxonomic unit (OTU) and inhabited a specific environment (lotic, lentic or terrestrial). Our findings suggest the existence of microdiversification leading to sub‐taxa niche differentiation, with putative distinct ecotypes (consisting of groups of ASVs) adapted to a specific environment. We hypothesize that HoS clades thriving in the CPWC have phylogenetically conserved traits that accelerate their rate of evolution, enabling them to adapt to strong spatio‐temporally variable selection pressures. Variable selection appears to operate within clades to cause very rapid microdiversification without losing key traits that lead to high abundance. Variable and homogeneous selection, therefore, operate simultaneously but on different aspects of organismal ecology. The result is an overall signal of homogeneous selection due to rapid within‐clade microdiversification caused by variable selection. It is unknown whether other systems experience this dynamic, and we encourage future work evaluating the transferability of our results.
OsNAC3 regulates seed germination involving abscisic acid pathway and cell elongation in rice
Authors: Huang Chengwei , Zhao Jia , Huang Qianqian , Peng Liling , Huang Zhibo , Li Wenwen , Sun Shan , He Yongqi , Wang Zhoufei
Published: November 2023

Seed germination is a critical trait for the success of direct seeding in rice cultivation. However, the underlying mechanism determining seed germination is largely unknown in rice.

Here, we report that NAC transcription factor OsNAC3 positively regulates seed germination of rice. OsNAC3 regulates seed germination involving abscisic acid (ABA) pathway and cell elongation. OsNAC3 can directly bind to the promoter of ABA catabolic gene OsABA8ox1 and cell expansion gene OsEXP4, which consequently activates their expressions during seed germination.

We also find that the expression of OsEXP4 is reduced by ABA during seed germination in rice. OsNAC3 regulates seed germination by influencing cell elongation of the embryo through directly affecting OsEXP4 expression and indirectly ABA‐medicated OsEXP4 expression. The OsNAC3 elite haplotype is useful for genetic improvement of seed germination, and overexpression of OsNAC3 can significantly increase seed germination.

We therefore propose that OsNAC3 is a potential target in breeding of rice varieties with high seed germination for direct seeding cultivation.
Neurogenic myocardial dysfunction post craniopharyngioma resection: A diagnostic dilemma
Authors: Reddy Ashwini , Thappa Priya , Jangra Kiran , Dhandapani Sivashanmugam , Sihag Bhupendra Kumar
Published: November 2023

Endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of craniopharyngioma is a commonly used technique. Cerebral vasospasm may occur in nearly 10% of cases leading to adverse neurological outcomes. Cardiopulmonary dysfunction may be seen in patients with severe vasospasm. The literature describing the occurrence of neurogenic stunned myocardium following craniopharyngioma resection in pediatric patients is very sparse. Here, we describe such a case managed with a combination of milrinone (to relieve vasospasm and improve cardiac pump function), noradrenaline (to obtain target blood pressure), and vasopressin (to control urine output). This case report proposes the treatment plan of neurogenic stunned myocardium following vasospasm in pediatric patients.
Kelp breeding in China: Challenges and opportunities for solutions
Authors: Hu Zi‐Min , Shan Ti‐Feng , Zhang Quan‐Sheng , Liu Fu‐Li , Jueterbock Alexander , Wang Gaoge , Sun Zhong‐Min , Wang Xiang‐Yu , Chen Wei‐Zhou , Critchley Alan T. , Ye Nai‐Hao
Published: November 2023

Breeding has played an important role in the mariculture and industrialization of kelp in China. However, the current kelp breeding systems in China have encountered some problems relating to germplasm diversity, management, technological innovations, and regional co‐operation. This review summarizes the main challenges, such as top‐down and fragmented management of germplasm libraries, as well as private industry breeding without government regulations, inter‐cultivar accidental admixing and genetic erosion, loss of heterozygosity due to repeated selection and self‐crossing. We outline multiple potential approaches to breed cultivars with improved qualitative/quantitative traits which can be subjected to changing environments, for example: (i) establishing a national germplasm repository to enhance integrative collection and preservation of kelp resources; (ii) planning and implementing kelp breeding programmes according to strategic priorities and goal‐orientations; (iii) optimizing a hybridization‐based breeding pipeline to produce robust cultivars through the introgression of novel alleles and thus the expression of hybrid vigour; (iv) enriching the high‐quality annotated reference genomes and functional analysis of trait‐associated markers/loci to develop DNA‐based breeding technologies; (v) developing new priming‐based (e.g., thermal and disease resistance) bio‐engineering breeding strategies to meet future unpredictable climate change; and (vi) breeding towards an ecological kelp‐microbiome interaction‐based technique to produce cultivars with enhanced performance and adaptability to environmental scenarios. Collectively, the lessons learned from kelp breeding in China and the solutions proposed here may not only potentially improve or re‐invigorate the Chinese kelp industry, but will also assist other developing countries in taking corrective actions to develop a sustainable future kelp farming industry.
Factors affecting birth weight and stillbirth in sows housed in a tropical environment
Authors: Adi Yosua Kristian , Boonprakob Rafa , Kirkwood Roy N. , Tummaruk Padet
Published: November 2023

This study analysed data from a commercial swine herd in Thailand equipped with a free‐farrowing housing system, comprising 17,196 piglets from 1318 litters, to explore the impact of sow and litter characteristics on the piglet birth weight and the incidence of stillbirth. The piglets were classified into four groups based on the total number of piglets born per litter (TB): ≤9 (n = 1434), 10–12 (n = 3232), 13–15 (n = 6537) and ≥16 (n = 5993). Sows were classified into four groups based on parity number: 1, 2–4, 5–7 and ≥8. The piglets were categorized into quartiles based on their birth order ranking: Q1 (n = 4786), Q2 (n = 4143), Q3 (n = 3808) and Q4 (n = 4456). Piglet birth weight was individually measured before colostrum ingestion. On average, TB, the number of live‐born piglets and the incidence of stillbirth were 13.1 ± 3.7, 11.5 ± 3.8 and 6.3%, respectively. Among these litters, 26.6% had TB numbers ≥16. The average piglet birth weight was 1.37 ± 0.36 kg, with 18.3% of piglets weighing ≤1.0 kg at birth. Piglet birth weight was influenced by birth order ranking, as Q4 piglets were found to be heavier than piglets born in Q1–Q3 (p < .001). Moreover, the percentage of piglets with a birth weight of ≤1.0 kg increased from 5.9% in litters with TB of ≤9–25.3% in litters with TB of ≥16 (p < .001). Additionally, primiparous sows had lower piglet birth weights compared to sows with parity numbers 2–4, 5–7 and ≥8 (p < .001). Piglets born in the fourth quartile (Q4) had a higher risk of stillbirth compared to those born in the first (Q1), second (Q2) and third (Q3) quartiles (12.5% vs. 2.2%, 4.1% and 6.6%, respectively, p < .001). The incidence of stillbirth in litters with TB ≥16 was also higher than that in litters with TB ≤9 and 10–12 (p < .05). Furthermore, sows with parity numbers ≥8 had a higher incidence of stillbirth (9.7%) compared to primiparous sows (4.0%, p < .001), sows with 2–4 parity (5.2%, p < .001) and sows with 5–7 parity (7.6%, p = .003). In summary, a high incidence of stillbirth was found in piglets born in the last quartile of litters, in litters with >16 piglets and for sows with parity numbers ≥8. Piglets born in the last quartile of litters were heavier than those born in the first to third quartiles.
Do export demand shocks affect the export quality of multi‐product firms? Evidence from China
Authors: Wang Lei , Huang Xianhai , Sun Qianyun
Published: November 2023

We extend the theoretical model of Antoniades (2015, Heterogeneous Firms, quality, and trade. Journal of International Economics, 95(2), 263–273) to analyze the impact of export demand shocks on the quality of multi‐product firms. Using Chinese micro‐data, we find that positive export demand shocks significantly promote the export quality of multi‐product firms, but the impact decreases as firm productivity increases. In addition to the scale effect and the competition effect, the intensified competition caused by the expansion of export demand will induce firms to skew their export sales towards the best performing products. Our findings elucidate the importance of the resource reallocation effect in the study of trade‐induced export performance.
Heidegger's fundamental ontology and the human good in Aristotelian ethics
Authors: Hacker‐Wright John
Published: November 2023

Neo‐Aristotelian ethical naturalists take the concept “human” to be central to practical philosophy. According to this view, practical philosophy aims at a distinctive human good that defines its subject matter. Hence, practical philosophy can survive neither the elimination of the concept nor its subsumption under a more general concept, such as that of the rational agent. The challenge central to properly formulating Aristotelian naturalism is: How can the concept of the human be specified in a way that captures the distinctive role that it is supposed to play in practical philosophy? For the view to be sustained, the concept “human” as it figures in practical philosophy must not designate rationality plus a set of facts that we learn empirically about ourselves and then consider from a detached standpoint of reason. Heidegger's existential analytic offers an approach to addressing the challenge to neo‐Aristotelian naturalism and, therefore, a way of capturing the sui generis human good. I aim to show that concepts of the existential analytic in Being and Time have their origin or parallels in readings of Aristotle and that they capture the distinctive character of the being that we are, exclusively, completely, and as a unity. I argue that fundamental ontology offers a way to grasp the integral unity and irreplaceability of the human that lies at the heart of the neo‐Aristotelian project.
Perioperative daptomycin for prophylaxis of vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus infection in colonized liver transplant recipients
Authors: Mak Jordan T. , Ha Seung , Perloff Sarah , Knorr John P.
Published: November 2023

Background

Infection with vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus (VRE) in liver transplant recipients (LTR) has been associated with extended hospital stays, increased readmission rates, graft failure, and death. A tailored perioperative surgical prophylaxis regimen targeting VRE may reduce postoperative infections in VRE‐colonized patients. This study investigated the outcomes of perioperative daptomycin in this patient population.

Methods

This retrospective, single‐center cohort study included LTR ≥ 18 years old who were VRE‐colonized from June 2018 to November 2022. VRE colonization was identified by a VRE rectal swab screen or a positive VRE culture prior to transplant. Two groups were analyzed: daptomycin versus no daptomycin. All LTR received perioperative piperacillin‐tazobactam for 24 h. If VRE‐colonized, one dose of daptomycin (6 mg/kg) was given pre‐ and postoperatively. Demographics, clinical characteristics, risk factors for VRE infection, and daptomycin dose were collected. The primary outcome was VRE infection at 14 days and 90 days post‐transplant.

Results

There were 36 VRE‐colonized LTR; 19 received daptomycin and 17 did not. Baseline characteristics and risk factors for VRE infection were similar between groups. More VRE infections occurred in the no daptomycin group within 14 days post‐transplant (24% vs. 0%, p = .04), but at 90 days posttransplant there was no significant difference (29% vs. 16%, p = .43). The average daptomycin dose was 7.1 mg/kg.

Conclusion

Perioperative daptomycin reduced the rate of VRE infections in VRE‐colonized LTR within 14 days posttransplant but not at 90 days. Future studies should evaluate if higher doses and/or longer duration of perioperative daptomycin can reduce VRE infections beyond 14 days post‐transplant.

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XLG2 and CORI3 function additively to regulate plant defense against the necrotrophic pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Authors: Tiwari Ruchi , Garg Kajal , Senthil‐Kumar Muthappa , Bisht Naveen C.
Published: November 2023

The membrane‐bound heterotrimeric G‐proteins in plants play a crucial role in defending against a broad range of pathogens. This study emphasizes the significance of Extra‐large Gα protein 2 (XLG2), a plant‐specific G‐protein, in mediating the plant response to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which infects over 600 plant species worldwide. Our analysis of Arabidopsis G‐protein mutants showed that loss of XLG2 function increased susceptibility to S. sclerotiorum, accompanied by compromised accumulation of jasmonic acid (JA) during pathogen infection. Overexpression of the XLG2 gene in xlg2 mutant plants resulted in higher resistance and increased JA accumulation during S. sclerotiorum infection. Co‐immunoprecipitation (co‐IP) analysis on S. sclerotiorum infected Col‐0 samples, using two different approaches, identified 201 XLG2‐interacting proteins. The identified JA‐biosynthetic and JA‐responsive proteins had compromised transcript expression in the xlg2 mutant during pathogen infection. XLG2 was found to interact physically with a JA‐responsive protein, Coronatine induced 1 (CORI3) in Co‐IP, and confirmed using split firefly luciferase complementation and bimolecular fluorescent complementation assays. Additionally, genetic analysis revealed an additive effect of XLG2 and CORI3 on resistance against S. sclerotiorum, JA accumulation, and expression of the defense marker genes. Overall, our study reveals two independent pathways involving XLG2 and CORI3 in contributing resistance against S. sclerotiorum.
Efficacy and safety of platelet additive solution‐E stored platelet concentrates
Authors: Spelmink Saskia E. , Jager Suzanne T. , van de Watering Leo , van der Meer Pieter F. , van Gammeren Adriaan J. , Wiersum‐Osselton Johanna C. , Klei Thomas R. L. , Kerkhoffs Jean‐Louis H. ,   PAS‐E Research group
Published: November 2023

Introduction

In 2018, platelet (PLT) additive solution‐E (PAS‐E) was introduced. The implementation of PAS‐E was expected to diminish the number of allergic reactions in recipients following a PLT transfusion. Here, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of transfusions with PLTs stored in PAS‐E.

Study Design and Methods

After implementation of PAS‐E, data were collected from 2 cohorts of patients with hematological disorders as well as oncology patients, receiving PLTs in PAS‐E. A similar patient group in a recent RCT, receiving PLTs in plasma, was used as a historical control group for both cohorts. Endpoints were corrected count increments (CCIs), bleeding scores (only reported in cohort 1), and the incidence of adverse reactions.

Results

In cohort 1, the mean 1‐h CCI was 14.3 ± 6.9, and the 24‐h CCI was 8.7 ± 5.6. In cohort 2, the 1‐h CCI was 11.6 ± 7.8 and the 24‐h CCI was 7.0 ± 6.1. In the control group, the 1‐h CCI was 15.4 ± 5.5 and 24‐h CCI 8.7 ± 4.8. Bleeding complications of WHO grade ≥2 occurred in 40% of patients in cohort 1 compared to 44% in plasma PCs. The incidence of adverse reactions was 1.2% in the two PAS‐E cohorts, compared to 3.0% in plasma PCs. National hemovigilance data showed a significant reduction in allergic reactions with PAS‐E PC transfusions as compared to plasma PCs with an odds ratio of 0.46 (CI 95% 0.37–0.58).

Conclusion

The CCIs of PLTs in PAS‐E were decreased compared to plasma PCs, but clinically acceptable. Allergic transfusion reactions were decreased in PAS‐E PCs compared to plasma PCs.
Translingual Englishes, participatory hip‐hop and social media in Nepal
Authors: Sharma Bal Krishna
Published: November 2023

This article discusses some key functions and features of English in participatory popular culture and social media in Nepal. Analytical attention is paid to how English use in rap battles is entangled with other local languages and semiotic modes to create translingual practices and how online metapragmatic comments about the rap battles give rise to diverse language ideologies. The study shows that by creating their social life offline and online, Nepali young adults project themselves as individuals who have access to niche Englishes via popular culture. English use by Nepali youth functions not only as an instrument to understand Western popular culture but also as a symbolic resource to index a range of such social identities as ‘educated’, ‘civilized’ and ‘competent’. The article concludes by arguing that Nepali young adults create new subjectivities that are often suggestive of social transformation.
Pergunta Pela Mulher Negra Nos Crimes Raciais Julgados No Tribunal De Justiça Do Estado Do Pará
Authors: Tomaz de Souza Luanna , Tirza Dias Siqueira Samara
Published: November 2023

No presente artigo buscamos perguntar pelas mulheres negras nos crimes raciais. Dialoga-se com o pensamento de Katharine Bartlett que ressalta que a “pergunta pela mulher” deve ser feita no Direito. A pergunta que orienta a pesquisa é: quais as violências impostas às mulheres negras nas ofensas racistas julgadas nos acórdãos do Tribunal de Justiça do Pará (TJPA) publicados entre os anos de 2009 e 2020? Utilizou-se pesquisa bibliográfica, documental e jurisprudencial, com análise de conteúdo. No decorrer do artigo, em um primeiro momento, será apresentado o contexto da pesquisa jurisprudencial no TJPA e depois os resultados da pesquisa. Ao final, perguntar pela mulher negra se torna um instrumento ético-político de denúncia e que tem sido feito por parte dos feminismos negros para demonstração das violências das quais as mulheres negras são as principais vítimas.
PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Racismo; crimes raciais; mulheres negras; pesquisa jurisprudencial; feminismos.
A Mechano-Electro-Chemical Coupling Model for Bending Analysis of Single-Stranded DNA Microbeam Biosensors Due to Flexoelectricity
Authors: Tan Zouqing , Feng Yang , Shi Xiaohao , Yue Yanmei , Zhang Nenghui
Published: November 2023

Highly compliant structures such as microbeams can deform substantially in response to interactions between molecules adsorbed on their surface. To understand such systems and improve their detection signals, a mechano-electro-chemical coupling model for mechanical deformations of the microbeams immobilized single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) is established due to flexoelectricity. The governing equations and corresponding boundary conditions of ssDNA microbeams are derived by using the variational principle. The bending deformations of ssDNA microbeams (one for cantilever beam and another for simply supported beam) are derived. The electric potential in the regions inside and outside the ssDNA layer is obtained by linear Poisson–Boltzmann equation for different electrolyte solutions. The analytical expressions to quantify the beam deflection and the potential difference of ssDNA layer are presented. The theoretical predictions are compared with the experimental data to validate the applicability of the present model. Numerical results reveal that the solution types, thickness, and elastic modulus of substrate materials have an obvious influence on the deflections of ssDNA microbeams. Therefore, the present model can help to improve the reading of the bending deformation signal of the microbeam biosensors.
Room temperature field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization through spin-orbit torque originating from low-symmetry type II Weyl semimetal
Authors: Zhang Yu , Xu Hongjun , Jia Ke , Lan Guibin , Huang Zhiheng , He Bin , He Congli , Shao Qiming , Wang Yizhan , Zhao Mingkun , Ma Tianyi , Dong Jing , Guo Chenyang , Cheng Chen , Feng Jiafeng , Wan Caihua , Wei Hongxiang , Shi Youguo , Zhang Guangyu , Han Xiufeng , Yu Guoqiang
Published: November 2023

Spin-orbit torque (SOT) is a promising strategy to deterministically switch the perpendicular magnetization, but usually requires an in-plane magnetic field for breaking the mirror symmetry, which is not suitable for most advanced industrial applications. Van der Waals (vdW) materials with low crystalline symmetry and topological band structures, e.g., Weyl semimetals (WSMs), potentially serve as an outstanding system that may simultaneously realize field-free switching and high energy efficiency. Yet, the demonstration of these superiorities at room temperature has not been realized. Here, we achieve a field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization by using a layered type II WSM, TaIrTe
4
, in a TaIrTe
4
/Ti/CoFeB system at room temperature with the critical switching current density ~2.4 × 10
6
A cm
−2
. The field-free switching is ascribed to the out-of-plane SOT allowed by the low crystal symmetry. Our work suggests that using low-symmetry materials to generate SOT is a promising route for the manipulation of perpendicular magnetization at room temperature.
Phonological acquisition depends on the timing of speech sounds: Deconvolution EEG modeling across the first five years
Authors: Menn Katharina H. , Männel Claudia , Meyer Lars
Published: November 2023

The late development of fast brain activity in infancy restricts initial processing abilities to slow information. Nevertheless, infants acquire the short-lived speech sounds of their native language during their first year of life. Here, we trace the early buildup of the infant phoneme inventory with naturalistic electroencephalogram. We apply the recent method of deconvolution modeling to capture the emergence of the feature-based phoneme representation that is known to govern speech processing in the mature brain. Our cross-sectional analysis uncovers a gradual developmental increase in neural responses to native phonemes. Critically, infants appear to acquire those phoneme features first that extend over longer time intervals—thus meeting infants’ slow processing abilities. Shorter-lived phoneme features are added stepwise, with the shortest acquired last. Our study shows that the ontogenetic acceleration of electrophysiology shapes early language acquisition by determining the duration of the acquired units.
UNC-49 is a redox-sensitive GABA
A
receptor that regulates the mitochondrial unfolded protein response cell nonautonomously
Authors: Pohl Franziska , Germann Allison L. , Mao Jack , Hou Sydney , Bakare Bayode , Kong Thoo Lin Paul , Yates Kyari , Nonet Michael L. , Akk Gustav , Kornfeld Kerry , Held Jason M.
Published: November 2023

The γ-aminobutyric acid–mediated (GABAergic) system participates in many aspects of organismal physiology and disease, including proteostasis, neuronal dysfunction, and life-span extension. Many of these phenotypes are also regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), but the redox mechanisms linking the GABAergic system to these phenotypes are not well defined. Here, we report that GABAergic redox signaling cell nonautonomously activates many stress response pathways in
Caenorhabditis elegans
and enhances vulnerability to proteostasis disease in the absence of oxidative stress. Cell nonautonomous redox activation of the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mitoUPR) proteostasis network requires UNC-49, a GABA
A
receptor that we show is activated by hydrogen peroxide. MitoUPR induction by a spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3)
C. elegans
neurodegenerative disease model was similarly dependent on UNC-49 in
C. elegans
. These results demonstrate a multi-tissue paradigm for redox signaling in the GABAergic system that is transduced via a GABA
A
receptor to function in cell nonautonomous regulation of health, proteostasis, and disease.
Targeting a cell-specific microRNA repressor of CXCR4 ameliorates atherosclerosis in mice
Authors: Cimen Ismail , Natarelli Lucia , Abedi Kichi Zahra , Henderson James M. , Farina Floriana M. , Briem Eva , Aslani Maria , Megens Remco T.A. , Jansen Yvonne , Mann-Fallenbuchel Elizabeth , Gencer Selin , Duchêne Johan , Nazari-Jahantigh Maliheh , van der Vorst Emiel P.C. , Enard Wolfgang , Döring Yvonne , Schober Andreas , Santovito Donato , Weber Christian
Published: November 2023

The CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is crucial for vascular integrity. The atheroprotective functions of CXCR4 in vascular cells may be counteracted by atherogenic functions in other nonvascular cell types. Thus, strategies for cell-specifically augmenting CXCR4 function in vascular cells are crucial if this receptor is to be useful as a therapeutic target in treating atherosclerosis and other vascular disorders. Here, we identified miR-206-3p as a vascular-specific CXCR4 repressor and exploited a target-site blocker (CXCR4-TSB) that disrupted the interaction of miR-206-3p with CXCR4 in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, CXCR4-TSB enhanced CXCR4 expression in human and murine ECs and VSMCs to modulate cell viability, proliferation, and migration. Systemic administration of CXCR4-TSB in
Apoe
-deficient mice enhanced
Cxcr4
expression in ECs and VSMCs in the walls of blood vessels, reduced vascular permeability and monocyte adhesion to endothelium, and attenuated the development of diet-induced atherosclerosis. CXCR4-TSB also increased CXCR4 expression in B cells, corroborating its atheroprotective role in this cell type. Analyses of human atherosclerotic plaque specimens revealed a decrease in CXCR4 and an increase in miR-206-3p expression in advanced compared with early lesions, supporting a role for the miR-206-3p–CXCR4 interaction in human disease. Disrupting the miR-206-3p–CXCR4 interaction in a cell-specific manner with target-site blockers is a potential therapeutic approach that could be used to treat atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases.