bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vivo efficacy of combination therapy with albendazole and atovaquone against primary hydatid cysts in mice
Authors: Enkai Shigehiro , Kouguchi Hirokazu , Inaoka Daniel Ken , Irie Takao , Yagi Kinpei , Kita Kiyoshi
Published: March 2021

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis. Chemotherapy for AE involves albendazole (ABZ), which has shown insufficient efficacy. More effective chemotherapy for AE is needed. Previously, we have demonstrated that atovaquone (ATV), an antimalarial, inhibits mitochondrial complex III of E. multilocularis and restricts the development of larval cysts in in vivo experiments. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the efficacy of ABZ and ATV combination therapy on E. multilocularis in culture and in vivo experiments. Protoscoleces were treated with 50 μM ABZ and/or ATV in the medium; the duration of parasite elimination was determined under aerobic and anaerobic culture. In the in vivo experiment, the effects of ABZ and ATV combination treatment in BALB/c mice infected orally with eggs from the feces of an adult-stage E. multilocularis-infected dog were compared with those of standard oral ABZ therapy. In the culture assay, the duration of elimination associated with ABZ and ATV combination treatment was shorter than that associated with ATV alone under aerobic conditions. Protoscolex viability progressively reduced owing to the combination treatment under anaerobic conditions; however, either drug used singly did not exhibit antiparasitic effects under hypoxia. Furthermore, compared with ABZ alone, the combination treatment significantly reduced the growth of the primary cyst in the liver of mice infected orally with parasite eggs (P = .011). ATV enhances the effect of ABZ in the treatment of AE in mice.
Character-Infused Ethical Decision Making
Authors: Nguyen Brenda , Crossan Mary
Published: March 2021

Despite a growing body of research by management scholars to understand and explain failures in ethical decision making (EDM), misconduct prevails. Scholars have identified character, founded in virtue ethics, as an important perspective that can help to address the gap in organizational misconduct. While character has been offered as a valid perspective in EDM, current theorizing on how it applies to EDM has not been well developed. We thus integrate character, founded in virtue ethics, into Rest’s (1986) EDM model to reveal how shifting attention to the nature of the moral agent provides critical insights into decision making more broadly and EDM specifically. Virtue ethics provides a perspective on EDM that acknowledges and anticipates uncertainties, considers its contextual constraints, and contemplates the development of the moral agent. We thus answer the call by many scholars to integrate character in EDM in order to advance the understanding of the field and suggest propositions for how to move forward. We conclude with implications of a character-infused approach to EDM for future research.
Evaluation of Ac-Lys0(IRDye800CW)Tyr3-octreotate as a novel tracer for SSTR2-targeted molecular fluorescence guided surgery in meningioma
Authors: Dijkstra Bianca M. , de Jong Marion , Stroet Marcus C. M. , Andreae Fritz , Dulfer Sebastiaan E. , Everts Marieke , Kruijff Schelto , Nonnekens Julie , den Dunnen Wilfred F. A. , Kruyt Frank A. E. , Groen Rob J. M.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

Meningioma recurrence rates can be reduced by optimizing surgical resection with the use of intraoperative molecular fluorescence guided surgery (MFGS). We evaluated the potential of the fluorescent tracer 800CW-TATE for MFGS using in vitro and in vivo models. It targets somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (SSTR2), which is overexpressed in all meningiomas.

Methods

Binding affinity of 800CW-TATE was evaluated using [177Lu] Lu-DOTA-Tyr3-octreotate displacement assays. Tumor uptake was determined by injecting 800CW-TATE in (SSTR2-positive) NCI-H69 or (SSTR2-negative) CH-157MN xenograft bearing mice and FMT2500 imaging. SSTR2-specific binding was measured by comparing tumor uptake in NCI-H69 and CH-157MN xenografts, blocking experiments and non-targeted IRDye800CW-carboxylate binding. Tracer distribution was analyzed ex vivo, and the tumor-to-background ratio (TBR) was calculated. SSTR2 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Lastly, 800CW-TATE was incubated on frozen and fresh meningioma specimens and analyzed by microscopy.

Results

800CW-TATE binding affinity assays showed an IC50 value of 72 nM. NCI-H69 xenografted mice showed a TBR of 21.1. 800CW-TATE detection was reduced after co-administration of non-fluorescent DOTA-Tyr3-octreotate or administration of IRDye800CW. CH-157MN had no tumor specific tracer staining due to absence of SSTR2 expression, thereby serving as a negative control. The tracer bound specifically to SSTR2-positive meningioma tissues representing all WHO grades.

Conclusion

800CW-TATE demonstrated sufficient binding affinity, specific SSTR2-mediated tumor uptake, a favorable biodistribution, and high TBR. These features make this tracer very promising for use in MFGS and could potentially aid in safer and a more complete meningioma resection, especially in high-grade meningiomas or those at complex anatomical localizations.
Kongruenz der Anlassauswahl als Indikator für die Journalismusforschung: Eine Exploration
Authors: Lehmkuhl Markus , Promies Nikolai
Published: March 2021

Mit einer Inhaltsanalyse untersucht der Beitrag ressortvergleichend: 1. wie häufig dieselben nachrichtlichen Anlässe von mehreren Medientiteln zur Berichterstattung ausgewählt werden und 2. ob diesen (in-)kongruenten Auswahlentscheidungen eine Gesetzmäßigkeit zugrunde liegt. Das Interesse gilt dabei besonders der Kongruenz der Nachrichtenauswahl in Wissenschaftsressorts. Argumentiert wird, dass die Verteilung der Auswahlkongruenz Rückschlüsse auf ressortspezifisch unterschiedliche Bedingungen der Nachrichtengebung erlaubt. Diese wirken sich auf die Leistungsfähigkeit des Journalismus aus, die öffentliche Aufmerksamkeit auf besonders relevante Ereignisse zu lenken.

Analysiert wurden gut 4000 Artikel, die 2018 und 2019 in einem Zeitraum von einer bzw. zwei Wochen in fünf deutschsprachigen Zeitungen erschienen sind und 2521 verschiedene Anlässe hatten. Der Anteil der Anlässe, die kongruent von mehreren Zeitungen zugleich ausgewählt wurden, nimmt mit dem Grad der Kongruenz exponentiell ab, was frühere Ergebnisse bestätigt. Im Vergleich der verschiedenen Ressorts ist der Anteil exklusiver Anlässe im Wissenschaftsressort deutlich höher. Wissenschaftsredaktionen wählen wesentlich inkongruenter aus als beispielsweise Politikredaktionen. Diese Ergebnisse wecken Zweifel daran, ob es speziell dem Wissenschaftsjournalismus gelingt, das öffentliche Interesse an einem Kernbestand von wichtigen Ereignissen zu befördern.
Generalized or general mixed-effect modelling of tree morality of Larix gmelinii subsp. principis-rupprechtii in Northern China
Authors: Zhou Xiao , Fu Liyong , Sharma Ram P. , He Peng , Lei Yuancai , Guo Jinping
Published: March 2021

Tree mortality models play an important role in predicting tree growth and yield, but existing mortality models for Larix gmelinii subsp. principis-rupprechtii, an important species used for regeneration and afforestation in northern China, have overlooked potential regional influences on tree mortality. This study used data acquired from 102 temporary sample plots (TSPs) in natural stands of Prince Rupprecht larch in the state-owned Guandi Mountain Forest (n = 67) and state-owned Boqiang Forest (n = 35) in northern China. To model stand-level tree mortality, we compared seven model forms of county data. Three continuous (dominant height, plot mean diameter, and basal area per hectare) and one dummy variable with two levels (region) were used as fixed effects variables. Tree morality variations caused by forest blocks were accounted for using forest blocks as a random effect in selected models. Results showed that tree mortality significantly positively correlated with stand basal area and dominant height, but negatively correlated with stand mean diameter. Incorporating both the dummy variables and random effects into the tree mortality models significantly increased the fitting improvements, and Hurdle Poisson mixed-effects model showed the most attractive fit statistics (largest R2 and smallest RMSE) when employing leave-one-out cross-validation. These mixed-effects dummy variable models will be useful for accurately predicting Larix tree mortality in different regions.
Two new species from the mountains of southern Malawi and northern Mozambique
Authors: Darbyshire Iain , Polhill Roger M. , Magombo Zacharia , Timberlake Jonathan R.
Published: March 2021

Two new species are described from the proposed Mulanje-Namuli-Ribáuè Centre of Endemism. Isoglossa perdita I.Darbysh. (Acanthaceae) is apparently restricted to the submontane forests of southeastern Mt Mulanje in Malawi, and is assessed as Critically Endangered. Agelanthus patelii Polhill & Timberlake (Loranthaceae) is recorded from the montane forests of Mt Mulanje and from Mt Namuli in Mozambique, and the earlier assessment of this species as Endangered is confirmed. The habitat preferences and taxonomic affinities of these species are discussed. This work contributes to the ongoing assessment of the biodiversity and endemism of this montane region, and to the identification of Important Plant Areas in Mozambique.
The Power of Belonging: Interactions and Values in Children’s Group Play in Early Childhood Programs
Authors: Eidsvåg Gunnar Magnus , Rosell Yngve
Published: March 2021

This article explores belonging as social interaction in relation to power and values. Power has both positive and negative aspects. We view children as active agents with the power to include or exclude others, create space for each other or set boundaries. The article shows how children’s powers are limited by education staff’s structural power and discusses the ethical and pedagogical implications of children’s and staff’s use of power. We find that well-considered use of power may widen children’s horizons and provide them with social opportunities that they would otherwise miss. The data consist of video observation and interviews with children and teachers in three Early Childhood Education and Care settings in Norway. The article uses a lifeworld hermeneutical approach to study children’s belonging as a complex and sometimes ambiguous phenomenon. The article shows that children’s possibilities to position themselves and belong are made possible and limited by their social group via relational and structural power. By becoming aware of these contradictory tendencies, teachers can provide children with a variety of social experiences that promote belonging, which requires knowledge of how groups are formed by dynamic power relations that condition different social experiences.
Stance Detection Benchmark: How Robust is Your Stance Detection?
Authors: Schiller Benjamin , Daxenberger Johannes , Gurevych Iryna
Published: March 2021

Stance detection (StD) aims to detect an author’s stance towards a certain topic and has become a key component in applications like fake news detection, claim validation, or argument search. However, while stance is easily detected by humans, machine learning (ML) models are clearly falling short of this task. Given the major differences in dataset sizes and framing of StD (e.g. number of classes and inputs), ML models trained on a single dataset usually generalize poorly to other domains. Hence, we introduce a StD benchmark that allows to compare ML models against a wide variety of heterogeneous StD datasets to evaluate them for generalizability and robustness. Moreover, the framework is designed for easy integration of new datasets and probing methods for robustness. Amongst several baseline models, we define a model that learns from all ten StD datasets of various domains in a multi-dataset learning (MDL) setting and present new state-of-the-art results on five of the datasets. Yet, the models still perform well below human capabilities and even simple perturbations of the original test samples (adversarial attacks) severely hurt the performance of MDL models. Deeper investigation suggests overfitting on dataset biases as the main reason for the decreased robustness. Our analysis emphasizes the need of focus on robustness and de-biasing strategies in multi-task learning approaches. To foster research on this important topic, we release the dataset splits, code, and fine-tuned weights.
Injectable hyaluronic acid-based antibacterial hydrogel adorned with biogenically synthesized AgNPs-decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Makvandi Pooyan , Ashrafizadeh Milad , Ghomi Matineh , Najafi Masoud , Hossein Hamid Heydari Sheikh , Zarrabi Ali , Mattoli Virgilio , Varma Rajender S.
Published: March 2021

Injectable materials have shown great potential in tissue engineering applications. However, bacterial infection is one of the main challenges in using these materials in the field of regenerative medicine. In this study, biogenically synthesized silver nanoparticle-decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Ag/MWCNTs) were deployed for adorning biogenic-derived AgNPs which were subsequently used in the preparation of thermosensitive hydrogels based on hyaluronic acid encompassing these green-synthesized NPs. The antibacterial capacity of AgNPs decorated on MWCNTs synthesized through Camellia sinensis extract in an organic solvent-free medium displayed a superior activity by inhibiting the growth of Gram-negative (E. coli and Klebsiella) and Gram-positive (S. aureus and E. faecalis). The injectable hydrogel nanocomposites demonstrated good mechanical properties, as well. The thermosensitive hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels also exhibited Tgel below the body temperature, indicating the transition from liquid-like behavior to elastic gel-like behavior. Such a promising injectable nanocomposite could be applied as liquid, pomade, or ointment to enter wound cavities or bone defects and subsequently its transition in situ to gel form at human body temperature bodes well for their immense potential application in the biomedical sector.
Post-Hospital Discharge Strategy for COVID-19 Treatment and Control: Focus on Fangcang Hospitals
Authors: Kassaeian Saeed , Gohari Ali , Masoumi Gholamreza , Ghomian Zohreh , Dehghani Arezoo
Published: March 2021

Objective:

One of the concerns of health managers in Iran in case COVID-19 reached a new peak is a shortage of hospital beds. In response, the country designed and created intermediate treatment centers, known as fangcang hospitals, which are prepared quickly at low cost and with high capacity. The aim of this study is to provide health managers with an effective post-hospital discharge strategy for COVID-19 patients.

Method:

The study was conducted from April 2020 to June 2020, with a narrative case study design. Setting up a fangcang hospital was based on a narrative analysis of 2 in-depth interviews with 4 fangcang hospital managers in Iran, a field visit of these places, and a review of their protocols and guidelines.

Result:

The patient flow for screening, treatment, and follow-up includes the following: Patients will be hospitalized if their symptoms are severe. If they are infected with mild symptoms, they will be referred to a fangcang hospital and admitted there if necessary, to prevent further spread of the disease. Patients will be monitored regularly and treated with routine health services. At the end of the 14-day quarantine period, patients approved for discharge are sent home.

Conclusion:

Traditional hospitals and fangcang hospitals are working together under the supervision of the Iran University of Medical Sciences. Our experience can serve as guidance for other clinics and recovery shelters. Having guidelines in place assists health care workers and managers in responding quickly to patients' needs during times of a disaster.
Burnt by the sun: disaggregating temperature’s current and future impact on mortality in the Turkish context
Authors: Özen Ilhan Can
Published: March 2021

Our study plans to quantify the effect of higher temperatures on different critical Turkish health outcomes mainly to chart future developments and to identify locations in Turkey that may be potential vulnerable hotspots. The general structure of the temperature mortality function was estimated with different fixed-level effects, with a specific focus on the mortality effect of maximum apparent temperature. Regional models were fitted to pinpoint the thresholds where the temperature–mortality relation changes, thus investigating whether the thresholds are determined nationally or regionally. The future patterns were estimated by extrapolating from future temperature trends: analyzing possible future mortality trends under the restricting assumption of minimal acclimation. Using the fixed effect regression structure, social and developmental variables acting as heat effect modifiers were also identified. In the largest dataset, the initial fixed effect regression specification supports the hypothesis summarized by the U-shaped relationship between temperature and mortality. This is a first corroboration for Turkish climate and health research. In addition, intermediation effects were substantiated for the level of urbanization and population density, and the human development and health development within provinces. Regional heterogeneity is substantiated by the mortality–temperature relationship and the significant threshold deviations from the national average.
Reconstructing dietary ecology of extinct strepsirrhines (Primates, Mammalia) with new approaches for characterizing and analyzing tooth shape
Authors: Fulwood Ethan L. , Shan Shan , Winchester Julia M. , Gao Tingran , Kirveslahti Henry , Daubechies Ingrid , Boyer Doug M.
Published: March 2021

The morphological and ecological diversity of lemurs and lorisiformes once rivaled that of the rest of the primate order. Here, we assemble a dataset of 3D models representing the second mandibular molars of a wide range of extant and fossil strepsirrhines encompassing this diversity. We use these models to distill quantitative descriptors of tooth form and then analyze these data using new analytical methods. We employ a recently developed dental topography metric (ariaDNE), which is less sensitive to details of random error in 3D model quality than previously used metrics (e.g., DNE); Bayesian multinomial modeling with metrics designed to measure overfitting risk; and a tooth segmentation algorithm that allows the shapes of disaggregated tooth surface features to be quantified using dental topography metrics. This approach is successful at reclassifying extant strepsirrhine primates to known dietary ecology and indicates that the averaging of morphological information across the tooth surface does not interfere with the ability of dental topography metrics to predict dietary adaptation. When the most informative combination of dental topography metrics is applied to extinct species, many subfossil lemurs and the most basal fossil strepsirrhines are predicted to have been primarily frugivorous or gummivorous. This supports an ecological contraction among the extant lemurs and the importance of frugivory in the origins of crown Strepsirrhini, potentially to avoid competition with more insectivorous and folivorous members of Paleogene Afro-Arabian primate faunas.
Machiavelli's MedicalMandragola: Knowledge, Food, and Feces
Authors: Gaylard Susan
Published: March 2021

This article argues that the medical discourse of Machiavelli's “Mandragola” is profoundly important both for understanding the play and for revisiting its author's philosophical and political writings. I show that discussions in “Mandragola” of doctors, medicine, eating, and elimination ultimately break down the traditional paradigm that opposes truth, nourishment, and healing to deception, problematic food, and illness. The play's extended discourse around medicine undermines the ideal of the physician who heals the state and thepharmakonof words that heal the soul (in Plato, Livy, Saint Augustine, and Machiavelli's “Discorsi”), questioning in turn notions of knowledge and truth.
Lost in Translation? Constructing Ancient Roman Martyrs in Baroque Bavaria
Authors: Litaker Noria
Published: March 2021

Over the course of the early modern period, parish, monastic, and pilgrimage churches across Catholic Europe and beyond eagerly sought to acquire the relics of ancient Roman martyrs excavated from the Eternal City's catacombs. Between 1648 and 1803, the duchy of Bavaria welcomed nearly 350 of these “holy bodies” to its soil. Rather than presenting the remains as fragments, as was common during the medieval period, local communities forged catacomb saint relics into gleaming skeletons and then worked to write hagiographical narratives that made martyrs’ lives vivid and memorable to a population unfamiliar with their deeds. Closely examining the construction and material presentation of Bavarian catacomb saints as well as the vitae written for them offers a new vantage point from which to consider how the intellectual movement known as the paleo-Christian revival and the scholarship it produced were received, understood, and then used by Catholic Europeans in an everyday religious context. This article demonstrates that local Bavarian craftsmen, artists, relic decorators, priests, and nuns—along with erudite scholars in Rome—were active in bringing the early Christian church to life and participated in the revival as practitioners and creative scholars in their own right.
CODIFICATION, CONSOLIDATION, RESTATEMENT? HOW BEST TO SYSTEMISE THE MODERN LAW OF TORT
Authors: Giliker Paula
Published: March 2021

The law of tort (or extra or non-contractual liability) has been criticised for being imprecise and lacking coherence. Legal systems have sought to systemise its rules in a number of ways. While civil law systems generally place tort law in a civil code, common law systems have favoured case-law development supported by limited statutory intervention consolidating existing legal rules. In both systems, case law plays a significant role in maintaining the flexibility and adaptability of the law. This article will examine, comparatively, different means of systemising the law of tort, contrasting civil law codification (taking the example of recent French proposals to update the tort provisions of the Code civil) with common law statutory consolidation and case-law intervention (using examples taken from English and Australian law). In examining the degree to which these formal means of systemisation are capable of improving the accessibility, intelligibility, clarity and predictability of the law of tort, it will also address the role played by informal sources, be they ambitious restatements of law or other means. It will be argued that given the nature of tort law, at best, any form of systemisation (be it formal or informal) can only seek to minimise any lack of precision and coherence. However, as this comparative study shows, further steps are needed, both in updating outdated codal provisions and rethinking the type of legal scholarship that might best assist the courts.
Evolving Statutory Derivative Action Principles in South Africa: The Good Faith Criterion and Other Legal Grounds
Authors: Mupangavanhu Brighton M
Published: March 2021

The recent Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment in Lazarus Mbethe v United Manganese of Kalahari raises jurisprudential questions regarding statutory derivative actions in South Africa. For example, the SCA did not agree with the court a quo's ruling that the discretion to be exercised by the court is limited by provisions of section 165(5). The SCA also questioned whether it is necessary for South African courts to follow the good faith criterion in the Australian case of Swansson v Pratt as adopted into South African law through Mouritzen v Greystones Enterprises (Pty) Ltd & Another. This article contributes to these questions, and proposes possible criteria for other requirements in section 165(5)(b) of the Companies Act 71 of 2008. These other requirements are that the statutory derivative action proceedings must involve “a trial of a serious question of material consequence to a company” and that proceedings be “in the best interests of the company”.
Molecular characterization of European Pygorchis Looss, 1899
Authors: Heneberg P. , Sitko J.
Published: March 2021

Adult trematodes of the genus Pygorchis Looss, 1899 (Trematoda: Philophthalmidae) parasitize the cloaca of birds. The genus contains three species, all of which are rarely reported and molecular phylogenetics of which have not been applied. The absence of reference DNA sequences limit studies of their indistinct larval forms. Based on the materials that were obtained from birds of the Czech origin, we performed a molecular characterization of both currently known Pygorchis spp., which are known from the Palearctic, the type species Pygorchis affixus Looss, 1899 and Pygorchis alakolensis Zhatkanbaeva, 1967, and provided morphological description of the examined P. alakolensis specimen. We found that the two species were of similar dimensions; the only difference was in the position of testes and in the extent of vitelline follicles. However, the position of testes in P. affixus was variable, and approximately 10% of examined P. affixus individuals had testes positioned obliquely. The second feature that allows differential diagnostic, the extent of vitelline follicles, was more reproducible as the vitelline follicles of P. affixus did not extend beyond the intestinal caeca, or, in exceptional cases, they extended them at only one side. In the examined P. alakolensis individual, the testes were positioned obliquely, and the vitelline follicles extended beyond the intestinal caeca. We reported P. alakolensis for the first time from Europe; previously, it was known only from Central Asian lakes and rivers. We confirmed the classification of Pygorchis into Philophtalmidae.
Developmental trajectories of ADHD symptoms in a large population-representative longitudinal study
Authors: Murray Aja Louise , Hall Hildigunnur Anna , Speyer Lydia Gabriela , Carter Lara , Mirman Daniel , Caye Arthur , Rohde Luis
Published: March 2021

Background

Previous research has suggested that there is substantial heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. Sometimes, qualitative distinctions between trajectories with different ages of onset and/or patterns of remission are made; however, little is known about the predictors and broader clinical meaningfulness of these candidate ‘developmental subtypes’ of ADHD symptoms.

Methods

We applied latent class growth analysis to data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS;N= 11 316; ages 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14) to evaluate whether developmental trajectories of ADHD symptoms differing in early life predictors could be identified. Our optimal model included six trajectory groups, labelledunaffected(34.9% of the sample),mildly affected(24.1%),subclinical remitting(12.8%),pre-school onset partially remitting(14.1%),developmentally increasing(7.6%) andpre-school onset persistent(6.4%).

Results

Factors such as gender, conduct problems, cognitive ability, maternal education, premature birth, peer problems and school readiness scores differentiated between specific ADHD symptom trajectories.

Conclusions

Taken together, our findings provide preliminary evidence that distinguishing different trajectories of ADHD symptoms could be clinically informative.
Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale Screen Version: initial screening for suicide risk in a psychiatric emergency department
Authors: Bjureberg Johan , Dahlin Marie , Carlborg Andreas , Edberg Hanna , Haglund Axel , Runeson Bo
Published: March 2021

Background

Suicide screening is routine practice in psychiatric emergency (PE) departments, but evidence for screening instruments is sparse. Improved identification of nascent suicide risk is important for suicide prevention. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the association between the novel Colombia Suicide Severity Rating Scale Screen Version (C-SSRS Screen) and subsequent clinical management and suicide within 1 week, 1 month and 1 year from screening.

Methods

Consecutive patients (N = 18 684) attending a PE department in Stockholm, Sweden between 1 May 2016 and 31 December 2017 were assessed with the C-SSRS Screen. All patients (52.1% women; mean age = 39.7, s.d. = 16.9) were followed-up in the National Cause of Death Register. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves analyses were conducted. Optimal cut-offs and accuracy statistics were calculated.

Results

Both suicidal ideation and behaviour were prevalent at screening. In total, 107 patients died by suicide during follow-up. Both C-SSRS Screen Ideation Severity and Behaviour Scales were associated with death by suicide within 1-week, 1-month and 1-year follow-up. The optimal cut-off for the ideation severity scale was associated with at least four times the odds of dying by suicide within 1 week (adjusted OR 4.7, 95% confidence interval 1.5–14.8). Both scales were also associated with short-term clinical management.

Conclusions

The C-SSRS Screen may be feasible to use in the actual management setting as an initial step before the clinical assessment of suicide risk. Future research may investigate the utility of combining the C-SSRS Screen with a more thorough assessment.
The long shadow of childhood trauma for depression in midlife: examining daily psychological stress processes as a persistent risk pathway
Authors: Mayer Stefanie E. , Surachman Agus , Prather Aric A. , Puterman Eli , Delucchi Kevin L. , Irwin Michael R. , Danese Andrea , Almeida David M. , Epel Elissa S.
Published: March 2021

Background

Childhood trauma (CT) increases the risk of adult depression. Buffering effects require an understanding of the underlying persistent risk pathways. This study examined whether daily psychological stress processes – how an individual interprets and affectively responds to minor everyday events – mediate the effect of CT on adult depressive symptoms.

Methods

Middle-aged women (N = 183) reported CT at baseline and completed daily diaries of threat appraisals and negative evening affect for 7 days at baseline, 9, and 18 months. Depressive symptoms were measured across the 1.5-year period. Mediation was examined using multilevel structural equation modeling.

Results

Reported CT predicted greater depressive symptoms over the 1.5-year time period (estimate = 0.27, s.e. = 0.07, 95% CI 0.15–0.38, p < 0.001). Daily threat appraisals and negative affect mediated the effect of reported CT on depressive symptoms (estimate = 0.34, s.e. = 0.08, 95% CI 0.22–0.46, p < 0.001). Daily threat appraisals explained more than half of this effect (estimate = 0.19, s.e. = 0.07, 95% CI 0.08–0.30, p = 0.004). Post hoc analyses in individuals who reported at least moderate severity of CT showed that lower threat appraisals buffered depressive symptoms. A similar pattern was found in individuals who reported no/low severity of CT.

Conclusions

A reported history of CT acts as a latent vulnerability, exaggerating threat appraisals of everyday events, which trigger greater negative evening affect – processes that have important mental health consequences and may provide malleable intervention targets.
Associations and limited shared genetic aetiology between bipolar disorder and cardiometabolic traits in the UK Biobank
Authors: Fürtjes Anna E. , Coleman Jonathan R. I. , Tyrrell Jess , Lewis Cathryn M. , Hagenaars Saskia P.
Published: March 2021

Background

People with bipolar disorder (BPD) are more likely to die prematurely, which is partly attributed to comorbid cardiometabolic traits. Previous studies report cardiometabolic abnormalities in BPD, but their shared aetiology remains poorly understood. This study examined the phenotypic associations and shared genetic aetiology between BPD and various cardiometabolic traits.

Methods

In a subset of the UK Biobank sample (N= 61 508) we investigated phenotypic associations between BPD (ncases= 4186) and cardiometabolic traits, represented by biomarkers, anthropometric traits and cardiometabolic diseases. To determine shared genetic aetiology in European ancestry, polygenic risk scores (PRS) and genetic correlations were calculated between BPD and cardiometabolic traits.

Results

Several traits were significantly associated with increased risk for BPD, namely low total cholesterol, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high triglycerides, high glycated haemoglobin, low systolic blood pressure, high body mass index, high waist-to-hip ratio; and stroke, coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes diagnosis. BPD was associated with higher polygenic risk for triglycerides, waist-to-hip ratio, coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. Shared genetic aetiology persisted for coronary artery disease, when correcting PRS associations for cardiometabolic base phenotypes. Associations were not replicated using genetic correlations.

Conclusions

This large study identified increased phenotypic cardiometabolic abnormalities in BPD participants. It is found that the comorbidity of coronary artery disease may be based on shared genetic aetiology. These results motivate hypothesis-driven research to consider individual cardiometabolic traits rather than a composite metabolic syndrome when attempting to disentangle driving mechanisms of cardiometabolic abnormalities in BPD.
Effect of zinc chloride and sodium selenite supplementation on in vitro maturation, oxidative biomarkers, and gene expression in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) oocytes
Authors: Khalil Wael A. , Yang Chun-Yan , El-Moghazy Mostafa M. , El-Rais Mohamed S. , Shang Jiang-Hua , El-Sayed Ashraf
Published: March 2021

This study examined the effects of zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) supplementation in maturation medium on in vitro maturation (IVM) rate, oxidative biomarkers and gene expression in buffalo oocytes. Ovaries from a slaughterhouse were aspirated and good quality cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) with at least four layers of compact cumulus cells and evenly granulated dark ooplasm were selected. COCs were randomly allocated during IVM (22 h) to one of four treatment groups: (1) control maturation medium (basic medium), or basic medium supplemented with (2) ZnCl2 (1.5 µg/ml), (3) Na2SeO3 (5 µg/l), or (4) ZnCl2 + Na2SeO3 (1.5 µg/ml + 5 µg/l, respectively). Oocytes were denuded after 22 h of IVM in the first four replicates. Specimens were fixed and stained to evaluate the stage of nuclear maturation. The spent medium was collected for biochemical assays of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide concentrations. A second four replicates were used for COCs for RNA extraction. The expression levels of antioxidant (SOD1, GPX4, CAT and PRDX1), antiapoptotic (BCL2 and BCL-XL) and proapoptotic (BAX and BID) genes were measured. Supplementation with ZnCl2 and Na2SeO3 during IVM increased the ratio of oocytes reaching metaphase II at 22 h, increased TAC and decreased MDA and H2O2 concentrations in the maturation medium (P < 0.05). Moreover, beneficial effects were associated with complementary changes in expression patterns of antioxidative, antiapoptotic and proapoptotic genes, suggesting lower oxidative stress and apoptosis. Supplementation medium with zinc chloride and sodium selenite improves the maturation rate, reduces oxidative stress and increases expression levels of antioxidative and antiapoptotic genes.
Executive functions in children with heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Jackson William M. , Davis Nicholas , Calderon Johanna , Lee Jennifer J. , Feirsen Nicole , Bellinger David C. , Sun Lena S.
Published: March 2021

Context:

People with CHD are at increased risk for executive functioning deficits. Meta-analyses of these measures in CHD patients compared to healthy controls have not been reported.

Objective:

To examine differences in executive functions in individuals with CHD compared to healthy controls.

Data sources:

We performed a systematic review of publications from 1 January, 1986 to 15 June, 2020 indexed in PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library.

Study selection:

Inclusion criteria were (1) studies containing at least one executive function measure; (2) participants were over the age of three.

Data extraction:

Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two authors. We used a shifting unit-of-analysis approach and pooled data using a random effects model.

Results:

The search yielded 61,217 results. Twenty-eight studies met criteria. A total of 7789 people with CHD were compared with 8187 healthy controls. We found the following standardised mean differences: −0.628 (−0.726, −0.531) for cognitive flexibility and set shifting, −0.469 (−0.606, −0.333) for inhibition, −0.369 (−0.466, −0.273) for working memory, −0.334 (−0.546, −0.121) for planning/problem solving, −0.361 (−0.576, −0.147) for summary measures, and −0.444 (−0.614, −0.274) for reporter-based measures (p < 0.001).

Limitations:

Our analysis consisted of cross-sectional and observational studies. We could not quantify the effect of collinearity.

Conclusions:

Individuals with CHD appear to have at least moderate deficits in executive functions. Given the growing population of people with CHD, more attention should be devoted to identifying executive dysfunction in this vulnerable group.
Autonomous Technology and Dynamic Obligations: Uncrewed Maritime Vehicles and the Regulation of Maritime Military Surveillance in the Exclusive Economic Zone
Authors: MCKENZIE Simon
Published: March 2021

The development of uncrewed maritime vehicles [UMVs] has the potential to increase the scale of military maritime surveillance in the exclusive economic zones of foreign coastal states. This paper considers the legal implications of the expanded use of UMVs for this purpose. It shows how features of the legal regime—namely how its application depends on determining the intent of a vessel's operation (to distinguish marine scientific research from military surveillance), as well the obligation to have due regard—have a “dynamic” quality that will pose a challenge to UMVs operated by autonomous technology. The legal obligations will require equipping UMVs with the capacity to communicate something about their identity, the purpose of their mission, and to be able to have some capacity to be responsive to the economic and environmental interests of the coastal state.
Electron Bulk Heating at Saturn's Magnetopause
Authors: Cheng I. , Achilleos N. , Masters A. , Lewis G. , Kane M. , Guio P.
Published: March 2021

Magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause (MP) energizes ambient plasma via the release of magnetic energy and produces an “open” magnetosphere allowing solar wind particles to directly enter the system. At Saturn, the nature of MP reconnection remains unclear. The current study examines electron bulk heating at MP crossings, in order to probe the relationship between observed and predicted reconnection heating proposed by Phan et al. (2013, https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50917) under open and closed MP, and how this may pertain to the position of the crossings in the Δβ‐magnetic shear parameter space. The electron heating for 70 MP crossings made by the Cassini spacecraft from April 2005 to July 2007 was found using 1d and 3d moment methods. Minimum variance analysis was used on the magnetic field data to help indicate whether the MP is open or closed. We found better agreement between observed and predicted heating for events suggestive of locally “open” MP. For events suggestive of locally “closed” MP, we observed a cluster of points consistent with no electron heating, but also numerous cases with significant heating. Examining the events in the Δβ‐magnetic shear parameter space, we find 83% of events without evidence of energization were situated in the “reconnection suppressed” regime, whilst between 43% to 68% of events with energization lie in the “reconnection possible” regime depending on the threshold used. The discrepancies could be explained by a combination of spatial and temporal variability which makes it possible to observe heated electrons with different conditions from the putative reconnection site.
Energy‐Based Scenarios for Great Thrust‐Type Earthquakes in the Nankai Trough Subduction Zone, Southwest Japan, Using an Interseismic Slip‐Deficit Model
Authors: Noda Akemi , Saito Tatsuhiko , Fukuyama Eiichi , Urata Yumi
Published: March 2021

We propose a new energy‐based method to construct rupture scenarios for anticipated megathrust earthquakes by using an interseismic slip‐deficit model. Our method bridges the gap between two well‐known approaches, namely, kinematic and dynamic modeling. We construct the source model as a static‐slip distribution, greatly reducing the computational load, and then examine whether the model follows the mechanics of faulting from the perspective of the energy balance of fault rupture. To quantify the energy balance, we introduce “residual energy,” which is defined as the difference between the strain energy released by the fault slip and the energy dissipated on the fault. Positive residual energy is a necessary condition for earthquake generation, which means that even if slip deficits accumulate, an earthquake does not occur unless the strain energy accumulation exceeds the dissipated energy. We apply the method to interplate earthquakes in the Nankai trough subduction zone, southwest Japan. Assuming a stress accumulation time of 150 years, 5 out of 10 scenarios meet the necessary condition, and one of these models can explain the crustal deformation of a historical Nankai earthquake. The significant amount of strain energy released by a rupture off Cape Muroto makes the scenario involving rupture of the whole subduction zone possible. The estimation of residual energy suggests that fault ruptures reaching the Nankai trough require more strain energy than buried ruptures. All of the scenarios eventually meet the condition, because the strain energy increases more with time than the fracture energy predicted from empirical scaling relationships.
Reexamining the Potential to Classify Lava Flows From the Fractality of Their Margins
Authors: Schaefer E. I. , Hamilton C. W. , Neish C. D. , Sori M. M. , Bramson A. M. , Beard S. P.
Published: March 2021

Can fractal analysis of a lava flow's margin enable classification of the lava's morphologic type (e.g., pāhoehoe)? Such classifications would provide insights into the rheology and dynamics of the flow when it was emplaced. The potential to classify lava flows from remotely‐sensed data would particularly benefit the analysis of flows that are inaccessible, including flows on other planetary bodies. The technique's current interpretive framework depends on three assumptions: (1) measured margin fractality is scale‐invariant; (2) morphologic types can be uniquely distinguished based on measured margin fractality; and (3) modification of margin fractality by topography, including substrate slope and confinement, would be minimal or independently recognizable. We critically evaluate these assumptions at meter scales (1–10 m) using 15 field‐collected flow margin intervals from a wide variety of morphologic types in Hawaiʻi, Iceland, and Idaho. Among the 12 margin intervals that satisfy the current framework's suitability criteria (e.g., geomorphic freshness, shallowly‐sloped substrates), we show that five exhibit notably scale‐dependent fractality and all five from lava types other than ‘a‘ā or pāhoehoe would be classified as one or both of those types at some scales. Additionally, an ‘a‘ā flow on a 15° slope (Mauna Ulu, Hawaiʻi) and a spiny pāhoehoe flow confined by a stream bank (Holuhraun, Iceland) exhibit significantly depressed fractalities but lack diagnostic signatures for these modifications. We therefore conclude that all three assumptions of the current framework are invalid at meter scales and propose a new framework to leverage the potential of the underlying fractal technique while acknowledging these complexities.
Bias Correction of Ocean Bottom Temperature and Salinity Simulations From a Regional Circulation Model Using Regression Kriging
Authors: Chang Jui‐Han , Hart Deborah R. , Munroe Daphne M. , Curchitser Enrique N.
Published: March 2021

It is well known that climate and circulation model simulation output are often systematically biased. However, existing bias correction methods typically ignore spatial autocorrelation of the biases and correct only the overall mean and variance, resulting in mismatched spatial variability between bias‐corrected simulations and observations. In this study, we propose using regression kriging (RK) to correct for biased spatial patterns and apply this method to Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) simulated ocean bottom temperature and salinity for the Mid‐Atlantic Bight, USA. RK combines modeling non‐stationary trends using (generalized) regression with ordinary kriging (OK) of the regression residuals. We compared the performance of RK to a simpler OK method and a quantile mapping (QM) method often used for bias correction of such model output. These methods were evaluated using the Structural Similarity (SSIM) index that can simultaneously evaluate model accuracy, precision, and spatial similarities. Our results show that while both RK and QM can correct for overall biases of the mean and variation, only RK can effectively reduce the spatial‐temporal autocorrelation of the biases. The RK method was able to bias correct while preserving the spatial‐temporal trends of the ROMS simulated bottom temperature and salinity surfaces. The RK approach can easily be applied to any similar climate and circulation model simulation output. This study has profound implications for studies that use the output from such a model for fine‐scale mapping, habitat suitability modeling, species distribution modeling, or predicting the effects of climate change.
Influences of Recent Particle Formation on Southern Ocean Aerosol Variability and Low Cloud Properties
Authors: McCoy Isabel L. , Bretherton Christopher S. , Wood Robert , Twohy Cynthia H. , Gettelman Andrew , Bardeen Charles G. , Toohey Darin W.
Published: March 2021

Controls on pristine aerosol over the Southern Ocean (SO) are critical for constraining the strength of global aerosol indirect forcing. Observations of summertime SO clouds and aerosols in synoptically varied conditions during the 2018 SOCRATES aircraft campaign reveal novel mechanisms influencing pristine aerosol‐cloud interactions. The SO free troposphere (3–6 km) is characterized by widespread, frequent new particle formation events contributing to much larger concentrations (≥1,000 mg−1) of condensation nuclei (diameters > 0.01 μm) than in typical sub‐tropical regions. Synoptic‐scale uplift in warm conveyor belts and sub‐polar vortices lifts marine biogenic sulfur‐containing gases to free‐tropospheric environments favorable for generating Aitken‐mode aerosol particles (0.01–0.1 μm). Free‐tropospheric Aitken particles subside into the boundary layer, where they grow in size to dominate the sulfur‐based cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) driving SO cloud droplet number concentrations (Nd ∼ 60–100 cm−3). Evidence is presented for a hypothesized Aitken‐buffering mechanism which maintains persistently high summertime SONdagainst precipitation removal through CCN replenishment from activation and growth of boundary layer Aitken particles. Nudged hindcasts from the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM6) are found to underpredict Aitken and accumulation mode aerosols andNd, impacting summertime cloud brightness and aerosol‐cloud interactions and indicating incomplete representations of aerosol mechanisms associated with ocean biology.