bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Finding the Way Towards a Better Medicine: A Review of: Curlin and Tollefsen. 2021.The Way of Medicine: Ethics and the Healing Profession. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press. ISBN-10: 0268200866.
Authors: Briscoe Joshua
Published: April 2023

In writing The Way of Medicine: Ethics and the Healing Profession, Farr Curlin and Christopher Tollefsen have provided a helpful, accessible resource for clinicians seeking to conscientiously practice medicine in pursuit of health. These authors identify a major threat to such a practice, which they call the provider of services model (PSM), and compare it to a historic way of practicing that they seek to recover, called the Way of Medicine. Throughout the book, they contrast the PSM and the Way in ways that are helpful. However, the process of continual contrasts and the reliance on controversial cases presents several counter-productive drawbacks that weaken their project.
Dictionary learning—from local towards global and adaptive
Authors: Pali Marie-Christine , Schnass Karin
Published: April 2023

This paper studies the convergence behaviour of dictionary learning via the Iterative Thresholding and K-residual Means (ITKrM) algorithm. On one hand, it is proved that ITKrM is a contraction under much more relaxed conditions than previously necessary. On the other hand, it is shown that there seem to exist stable fixed points that do not correspond to the generating dictionary, which can be characterised as very coherent. Based on an analysis of the residuals using these bad dictionaries, replacing coherent atoms with carefully designed replacement candidates is proposed. In experiments on synthetic data, this outperforms random or no replacement and always leads to full dictionary recovery. Finally, the question how to learn dictionaries without knowledge of the correct dictionary size and sparsity level is addressed. Decoupling the replacement strategy of coherent or unused atoms into pruning and adding, and slowly carefully increasing the sparsity level, leads to an adaptive version of ITKrM. In several experiments, this adaptive dictionary learning algorithm is shown to recover a generating dictionary from randomly initialized dictionaries of various sizes on synthetic data and to learn meaningful dictionaries on image data.
Trusts and credit risk: the Quistclose trust and lenders’ risks in loan finance
Authors: Brown Lloyd
Published: April 2023

The article evaluates the case of Barclays Bank Ltd v Quistclose Investments Ltd (1970) in the light of the lenders’ risks when providing loan finance to their commercial customers. A “risk profile” is established which identifies the main risks that may occur during the lending process. Significantly, the article shows that the trust identified by Lord Wilberforce in Quistclose is most important for managing and mitigating the “credit” risk that can often occur on a loan because of the borrower’s default. Quistclose changes the usual “at arm’s length” nature of lending and provides obligations that are of a fiduciary character.
Exercise-Induced Vision Dysfunction Early After Sport-Related Concussion Is Associated With Persistent Postconcussive Symptoms
Authors: Vernau Brian T. , Haider Mohammad N. , Fleming Alexander , Leddy John J. , Willer Barry S. , Storey Eileen P. , Grady Matthew F. , Mannix Rebekah , Meehan William , Master Christina L.
Published: April 2023

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to determine if exercise-induced vision dysfunction [reduced performance and/or symptom exacerbation on a post-exercise King-Devick (KD) test] in adolescents early after sport-related concussion was associated with increased risk of persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS, recovery >28 days). We used exercise as a provocative maneuver before the KD test, hypothesizing that concussed adolescents with exercise-induced vision dysfunction would be more likely to develop PPCS.

Design:

Secondary analysis of data from a multi-center, randomized clinical trial comparing KD test performance before and after the Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test in adolescents within 10 days of sport-related concussion who were randomized to aerobic exercise or placebo stretching program.

Setting:

Three university-associated sports medicine clinical programs.

Participants:

Ninety-nine adolescents with sport-related concussion (exercise group: n = 50, 15.3 ± 1 years, 60% M, 22% with PPCS; stretching group: n = 49, 15.9 ± 1 years, 65% M, 35% with PPCS) tested a mean of 6 ± 2 days from injury.

Independent Variable:

King-Devick test performed immediately before and 2 minutes after Buffalo Concussion Treadmill Test.

Main Outcome Measure:

Persistent post-concussive symptoms.

Results:

Adolescents who demonstrated exercise-induced vision dysfunction upon initial evaluation developed PPCS at a significantly greater rate when compared with adolescents who did not (71% vs 34%, P < 0.001). Exercise-induced vision dysfunction corresponded to a relative risk of 3.13 for PPCS.

Conclusions:

Adolescents with exercise-induced vision dysfunction had a 3-fold greater relative risk of developing PPCS than those without exercise-induced vision dysfunction.
Hormonal Contraceptives Reduce Active Symptomatic Disease but May Increase Intestinal Inflammation in IBD
Authors: Dolovich Casandra , Shafer Leigh Anne , Graff Lesley A. , Vagianos Kathy , Witges Kelcie , Targownik Laura E. , Bernstein Charles N.
Published: April 2023

Background:

Among women of reproductive age with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we aimed to assess the relationship of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) with IBD-related symptoms, and intestinal inflammation.

Methods:

A nested cohort of women in the longitudinal Manitoba Living with IBD Study, ages 18 to 49, were followed for 1 year, with bi-weekly online surveys. This included a validated measure of disease activity; IBD Symptom Inventory (IBDSI), and stool samples obtained at 3 time-points for assessment of fecal calprotectin (FCAL). Use of HC included oral and vaginal intrauterine devices. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between HC and IBD-related symptoms (IBDSI>14 for Crohn disease, >13 for ulcerative colitis), or inflammation (FCAL>250 ug/g) at any measurement point in the study.

Results:

Of 71 women, 17 (24%) reported taking HC in the 1 year period. Adjusting for age, disease type, disease duration, and smoking status, the odds of having increased IBD-related symptoms (IBDSI) during the year were lower for women using HC compared with women not using HC [adjusted odds ratio 0.16, 95% CI, 0.02-0.90]. Conversely, women using HC were more likely to have inflammation during the year [adjusted odds ratio 5.7, 95% CI, 1.23-43.6].

Conclusions:

HC use among women with IBD was associated with a lower likelihood of IBD-related symptoms but a higher likelihood of experiencing intestinal inflammation (FCAL>250 ug/g) over 1 year. Further work is needed to examine this dichotomous result, potentially examining aspects such as duration of HC use, and the types of HC.
pH Induced Switch in the Conformational Ensemble of an Intrinsically Disordered Protein Prothymosin-αand Its Implications to Amyloid Fibril Formation
Authors: Baidya Lipika , Reddy Govardhan
Published: April 2023

Aggregation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is the cause of various neu-rodegenerative diseases. Changes in solution pH can trigger IDP aggregation due to a shift in the IDP monomer population with a high aggregation propensity. Al-though there is experimental evidence that acidic pH promotes the compaction of IDP monomers, which subsequently leads to aggregation, the general mechanism is not clear. Using the IDP prothymosin-α(proTα), which is involved in multiple essential functions as a model system, we studied the pH effect on the conformational ensemble of proTαand probed its role in aggregation using a coarse-grained IDP model and molecular dynamics simulations. We show that compaction in the proTαdimension at low pH is due to the protein’s collapse in the intermediate region (E41 - D80) rich in glutamic acid residues. Further, theβ-sheet content increases in this region upon pH change from neutral to acidic. We hypothesized that the conformations with highβ-sheet content could act as aggregation-prone (N∗) states and nucleate the aggregation process. We validated our hypothesis by performing dimer simulations starting fromN∗and non-N∗states. We show that simulations initiated usingN∗states as initial conformations form dimers within 1.5μs, whereas the non-N∗states do not form dimers within this timescale. This study contributes to understanding the general principles of pH-induced IDP aggregation. The main result upon pH change from neutral to acidic, the intermediate region of proTαis responsible for aggregation due to an increase in itsβ-sheet forming propensity and forms the fibril core can be verified by experiments.

Graphical TOC Entry
ITK signaling regulates a switch between T helper 17 and T regulatory cell lineages via a calcium-mediated pathway
Authors: Anannya Orchi , Huang Weishan , August Avery
Published: April 2023

The balance of pro-inflammatory T helper type 17 (Th17) and anti-inflammatory T regulatory (Treg) cells is crucial in maintaining immune homeostasis in health and disease conditions. Differentiation of naïve CD4+T cells into Th17/Treg cells is dependent upon T cell receptor (TCR) activation and cytokine signaling, which includes the kinase ITK. Signals from ITK can regulate the differentiation of Th17 and Treg cell fate choice, however, the mechanism remains to be fully understood. We report here that in the absence of ITK activity, instead of developing into Th17 cells under Th17 conditions, naïve CD4+T cells switch to cells expressing the Treg marker Foxp3 (Forkhead box P3). These switched Foxp3+Treg like cells retain suppressive function and resemble differentiated induced Tregs in their transcriptomic profile, although their chromatin accessibility profiles are intermediate between Th17 and induced Tregs cells. Generation of the switched Foxp3+Treg like cells was associated with reduced expression of molecules involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, with reduced activation of the mTOR signaling pathway, and reduced expression of BATF. This ITK dependent switch between Th17 and Treg cells was reversed by increasing intracellular calcium. These findings suggest potential strategies for fine tune the TCR signal strength via ITK to regulate the balance of Th17/Treg cells.
From Concept to Reality: Examining India’s Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) Challenges & Opportunities
Authors: Misro Aswini , Mehta Anushka , Whittington Paul , Dogan Huseyin , Mishra Nishikant , Kadoglou Naim , Theivacumar Selva
Published: April 2023

Background

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) are rapidly altering the face of healthcare and their potential to improve patient outcomes has been exploited, in some countries. This study aims to explore the current landscape of the Indian healthcare sector to identify the favourability of current practises, organisational and infrastructural readiness, attitudes and concerns of the stakeholders concerning the implementation of CDSS.

Methods

The methodology that this study used was carrying out structured interviews comprising of 16 close-ended questions, split into three sub-categories. There was a total of 61 interviews were conducted with medical and administrative staff in public and privately run facilities, present in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities in India. The study will focus on hospitals in Tier 1 cities as these are in a position to bring technological transformation.

Results

The results identified various trends and patterns that would likely govern the incorporation of CDSS. A large proportion of the experts answered positively about the current level of digitalisation of their workplace and the availability of funds for future innovation, indicating high favourability for CDSS. Various roadblocks were isolated with respect to stakeholder attitudes, standardisation of care and general knowledge about CDSS and that in two cities, privately owned facilities were better equipped than state-run facilities.

Conclusions

There have been many recent initiatives in India to promote digital health. Performing a CDSS cost-effectiveness study will demonstrate the benefits of using CDSS in the country to overcome any adoption hesitancies.
Evaluation of Remote Monitoring Technology across different skin tone participants
Authors: Talukdar Debjyoti , de Deus Luis Felipe , Sehgal Nikhil
Published: April 2023

Background

Many research studies seek to improve vital sign monitoring to enhance the conditions under which doctors and caregivers track patients ‘ health. Non-invasive and contactless monitoring has emerged as an optimal solution for this problem, with telemedicine, self-monitoring, and wellbeing tools being the next generation of technology in the biomedical field. However, there is worldwide concern about the general purpose and bias towards a certain demographic group of these techniques. In particular, skin tone and the accuracy of monitoring dark skin tone groups have been key questions among researchers, with the lack of results and studies contributing to this uncertainty.

Methods

This paper proposes a benchmark for remote monitoring solution against a medical device across different skin tone people. Around 330 videos from 90 different patients were analyzed, and Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability were compared across different subgroups. The Fitzpatrick scale (1-6) was used to classify participants into three skin tone groups: 1 and 2; 3 and 4; 5 and 6.

Results

The results showed that our proposed methodology was able to estimate heart rate with a mean absolute error of 3 bpm across all samples and subgroups. Moreover, for Heart Rate Variability (HRV) metrics, we achieved the following results, in terms of Mobility Assistive Equipment (MAE): HRV-IBI (Inter-Beat-Interval) of 10 ms; HRV-SDNN (Standard Deviation of Normal to Normal heartbeats) of 14 ms and HRV-RMSSD (Root Mean Square of Successive Differences between normal heartbeats) of 22 ms. No significant performance decrease was found for any skin tone group, and there was no error trend towards a certain group.

Conclusions

The study showed that our methodology meets acceptable agreement levels for the proposed metrics and is well-suited for users who want to understand their general health and wellness. Furthermore, the experiments showed that skin tone had no impact on the results, which remained within the same range across all groups.
SEQUENCE VS. STRUCTURE: DELVING DEEP INTO DATA-DRIVEN PROTEIN FUNCTION PREDICTION
Authors: Tian Xiaochen , Wang Ziyin , Yang Kevin K. , Su Jin , Du Hanwen , Zheng Qiuguo , Guo Guibing , Yang Min , Yang Fei , Yuan Fajie
Published: April 2023

Abstract

Predicting protein function is a longstanding challenge that has significant scientific implications. The success of amino acid sequence-based learning methods depends on the relationship between sequence, structure, and function. However, recent advances in AlphaFold have led to highly accurate protein structure data becoming more readily available, prompting a fundamental question:given sufficient experimental and predicted structures, should we use structure-based learning methods instead of sequence-based learning methods for predicting protein function, given the intuition that a protein’s structure has a closer relationship to its function than its amino acid sequence?To answer this question, we explore several key factors that affect function prediction accuracy. Firstly, we learn protein representations using state-of-the-art graph neural networks (GNNs) and compare graph construction(GC) methods at the residue and atomic levels. Secondly, we investigate whether protein structures generated by AlphaFold are as effective as experimental structures for function prediction when protein graphs are used as input. Finally, we compare the accuracy of sequence-only, structure-only, and sequence-structure fusion-based learning methods for predicting protein function. Additionally, we make several observations, provide useful tips, and share code and datasets to encourage further research and enhance reproducibility.
Sequential pembrolizumab cooperates with platinum/5FU to remodel the tumor microenvironment in advanced gastric cancer: a phase II chemoimmunotherapy trial
Authors: An Minae , Mehta Arnav , Min Byung Hoon , Heo You Jeong , Parikh Milan , Bi Lynn , Cristescu Razvan , Lee Hyuk , Kim Taejun , Lee Song-Yi , Moon Jeonghyeon , Park Ryan J. , Strickland Matthew R. , Park Woong Yang , Kang Won Ki , Kim Kyoung-Mee , Kim Seung Tae , Klempner Samuel J. , Lee Jeeyun
Published: April 2023

Adding anti-PD1 antibodies to 5-FU/platinum chemotherapy improves survival in a subset of advanced gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) patients. Beyond PD-L1 expression and mismatch repair status we have limited insight into molecular predictors of response or the relative contribution of PD-1 blockade. We conducted an investigator sponsored phase II trial (n = 47) sequentially adding pembrolizumab to standard 5-FU/platinum in previously untreated advanced GEA (ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT04249739). With an overall response rate of 67% the activity paralleled phase III chemoimmunotherapy trials. To understand on-treatment tumor and immune adaptations patients underwent serial biopsy of the primary tumor, including baseline, after one cycle of 5-FU/platinum, and after the addition of pembrolizumab. We leveraged transcriptional profiling from 358,067 cells to identify multicellular networks of malignant, stromal, and immune cells after chemotherapy and concurrent chemoimmunotherapy. The relative usage of pro-tumor and anti-tumor interaction hubs differed between fast and slow progressing patients. Chemotherapy induced early on-treatment formation of hubs centered on tumor-reactive T-cell and M1-oriented macrophage interactions with pro-inflammatory cytokines in slow progressors. Faster progression was characterized by increased MUC5A and MSLN containing programs in tumor cells and M2-oriented macrophages with immunosuppressive stromal interactions. After adding pembrolizumab we observed increased CD8 T-cell infiltration by scRNAseq and multiplex immunofluorescence and development of an immunity hub involving co-variation of the tumor-reactive CXCL13 program and epithelial interferon-stimulated gene programs enriched in slow progressors. Together this data provides prospective evidence of differential early on-treatment evolution of the gastric immune microenvironment and nominates candidate cellular interactions for clinical targeting.
Psychological ownership influences perceived legal ownership of patient medical data
Authors: Cadario Romain , Shachar Carmel , Glenn Cohen I. , Morewedge Carey K.
Published: April 2023

Abstract

We propose beliefs about legal ownership are informed and biased by intuitions about and cues that imbue psychological ownership—knowledge, control, and self-investment. We test our theory in the context of legal ownership of medical data in the United States, which is determined by property rights afforded by HIPAA to three stakeholders: patients, medical providers, and health systems. We theorize that stakeholders underestimate patient rights and overestimate provider rights afforded by HIPAA because patients are perceived to have less knowledge, control, and to have invested less in their data. As predicted, all stakeholders underestimated patient rights and overestimated provider rights afforded by HIPAA in a nationally representative sample of patients (N=300) and convenience samples of medical providers (N=114) and health systems administrators (N=100). All stakeholders agreed that patients should also be afforded more rights by HIPAA and fewer rights should be afforded to health systems. We find additional evidentiary support for our process account in three experiments (N=1195) in which we manipulated the perceived knowledge, control, and self-investment of patients, which modulated the degree to which patients underestimated rights afforded to them by HIPAA. Our findings illustrate how intuitions about psychological ownership inform and bias judgments of legal ownership, and reveal a consensus of stakeholders agree HIPAA should be reformed to expand patient rights.

Public significance

This study suggests that beliefs about legal ownership are informed and biased by intuitions about and cues that imbue psychological ownership—knowledge, control, and self-investment. It shows how patients, medical providers and health systems administrators underestimate patient rights and overestimate provider rights afforded by HIPAA, and reveals additional patient rights that all stakeholders agree should be afforded by HIPAA.
Coloring and functional properties of cotton and wool fabrics treated with aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) fruit and leaf extracts
Authors: Koh Eunmi , Hong Kyung Hwa
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop an environment-friendly finishing process for coloring and functionalizing fabrics using the extracts from aronia fruit (AF) and/or aronia leaf (AL).

Design/methodology/approach

Coloring and functional compounds were extracted from both AF and AL to prepare dyeing and finishing agents for textiles. The bioactive compounds were identified, and their concentrations were determined by spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. The extracts were then used to dye and finish natural fibers. The cotton and wool fabrics treated with AF, AL and a combination of AF + AL extracts were investigated in terms of coloring properties and functionalities, specifically antioxidant capacity and antibacterial property.

Findings

According to the obtained results, AF extracts contained significant amounts of anthocyanins and phenols while AL extracts contained higher amounts of phenols with very low levels of anthocyanins. It was successfully demonstrated that the AF and AL extracts can be used to dye fabrics with good color properties. Moreover, textiles treated with aronia extracts inhibited the growth of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and exhibited antioxidant properties.

Originality/value

AF extract showed superior coloring and functional properties compared to AL extract. However, the treatment solution containing both AF and AL extracts demonstrated significant synergic effects on the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the treated fabrics.
Labor market impact of the Massachusetts state licensure performance assessment for leaders
Authors: Orr Margaret Terry , Hollingworth Liz
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper explores the school leadership career outcomes, timing and educator evaluation of those who complete the Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (PAL) in comparison with others who did not. It also compares outcomes for those with different PAL score completion requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

Using PAL assessment results and state employment data for years 2015 through 2019, the authors examined trends and timing in PAL completers' career advancement into an initial school leader position (assistant principal or principal), by assessment cohort (based on assessment year and passing (cut) score requirements) and with who never had to complete the assessment for licensure (non-PAL completers). Using regression analysis, the authors evaluated potential race/ethnicity and gender differences in advancement. Using chi-square tests of association, the authors compared non-PAL and PAL completers on their demographic attributes and on retention and promotion from assistant principal and on their educator evaluation scores. The authors also examined differences in advancement based on the cut score requirements and preparation pathways.

Findings

PAL completers made steady career advances over time and at faster rates than non-PAL completers. Further, PAL completers subject to higher cut score requirements advanced more quickly than those with lower or no score requirements. PAL completers' gender and race/ethnicity seemed to matter less in career advancement than was found in other studies. In 2019, almost half who advanced were employed in the same districts as they had been in 2014 and were more likely to be new leaders in urban districts. When compared with other career-related measures, PAL completers outperformed non-PAL completers who first became school leaders since 2014: they were more likely to be rated as exemplary on educator evaluation and more likely to be retained or promoted after two years in their first school leader position.

Originality/value

Until now little research has existed on the career effects of licensure assessments. Because it requires candidates to demonstrate proficiency in core areas of school leadership work, the PAL assessment appears to be a superior means of screening initial school leaders (based on rate of hiring) and of signaling future performance (based on subsequent educator evaluation ratings) than other assessment forms (such as the School Leader Licensure Assessment [SLLA] exam).
Purchasing managers' supplier selection decision: environmental influences on choice
Authors: Salem Ziad , Min Zhu , Sahl Samer Mohamed , Mehmed Bahtiyar
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper was formulated to address the impact of different individual decision modes on purchasing managers' satisfaction and find out whether different environments could influence the strength of the relationship between the sourcing managers' individual modes and their decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

A new model was built based on the variables selected from literature. Two identical surveys were sent to manufacturing firms in China and Egypt. Around 450 questionnaires have been sent to respondents, and about 300 responses have been collected in the two countries.

Findings

The key findings of this study showed that although the influence of decision modes is not changeable across decision-makers in different markets' environment, the strength of the relationship between different individual decision modes and the buying decision significantly differed across different dynamic task environments of buyers.

Originality/value

The research in this paper focused on the purchasing managers' individual decision-making. On the other hand, purchasing managers' market environment is rarely recognized as a main factor affecting their decisions. Furthermore, this research tries to understand more about the supplier selection decision-making in Eastern Asian and Middle Eastern countries.
Analyst optimism, uncertainty and regulation: evidence from the Indian market
Authors: Singla Riya , Chakraborty Madhumita , Singh Vivek
Published: April 2023

Purpose

The study examines the effect of increased Economic Policy uncertainty on analyst optimism in the Indian market. The study also explores whether the SEBI Research Analyst Regulation, 2014, has effectively contained the optimistic nature of analysts.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on firms in the Indian market. The sample period is 2003–2020. It runs a linear panel regression to measure the impact of Economic Policy uncertainty on the optimism level of analysts' forecasts and recommendations, controlling for firm fixed effects. Further, the impact of the SEBI Research Analyst Regulation, 2014, has been assessed with the help of the difference-in-difference approach.

Findings

The Economic Policy uncertainty is significantly and positively related to the analyst optimism, reflected in the forecast bias and recommendation in the Indian context. The experience of analysts and the age of the firm positively drive optimism. However, introducing the Research Analyst Regulation by SEBI led to a decline in analyst optimism. The regulation decoupled the analysts' compensation from brokerage service transactions. Thus, the results suggest that the regulation has effectively curbed the incentive to produce optimistic output.

Originality/value

This is the first study in the Indian market to assess the impact of uncertainty on analyst output. It also investigates the effectiveness of the first analyst-specific regulation in India, i.e. The Research Analyst Regulation, 2014.
Environmental context and herbivore traits mediate the strength of associational effects in a meta‐analysis of crop diversity
Authors: Hahn Philip G. , Cammarano Joseph H.
Published: April 2023

Crop diversification offers a promising solution to meet expanding global food demands while maintaining ecosystem services. Diversification strategies that use mixed planting to reduce pest damage (e.g. intercropping), termed ‘associational effects’ (AE) in the ecological literature, can decrease (associational resistance) or increase (associational susceptibility) herbivore abundance on a focal plant. While application of AE to agroecosystems typically reduces pest abundance, the range of outcomes varies widely.

We conducted a meta‐analysis using 272 estimates of insect herbivore abundance on crops neighbored by a conspecific or heterospecific from 44 studies undertaken on six continents. We focus on four agricultural crops well represented from sites across the globe to test hypotheses related to understanding how herbivore traits (diet breadth, feeding guild, origin), plant traits (crop type, phylogenetic distance to neighbour) and environmental context (climate, experimental design) contribute to variation in the outcomes of AE.

Overall, bicultures provided a strong reduction of insect abundance on the focal crop. Climate and interactions between herbivore traits, particularly diet breadth and origin, and plant traits or environmental context mediated the strength of AE.

Bicultures provided the strongest reductions in insect abundance at low latitudes, and this effect decreased at higher latitudes but only for insects with certain traits. Abundance of generalist herbivores and globally distributed pests tended to be most strongly negatively affected by bicultures, under certain contexts, whereas specialist herbivores and native pests were less affected by neighbours.

Synthesis and application. This meta‐analysis highlights that crop diversification schemes have an overall strongly beneficial effect of reducing pest abundance. However, there was also variability in the outcomes that is determined in part by the interactive effects of herbivore traits and environmental context. The results provide guidance for incorporating beneficial ecological interactions into integrated pest management strategies.
Enforced Disappearances and Torture Today: A View from Analytical Psychology
Authors: Bianchi Maria Giovanna
Published: April 2023

Enforced disappearance represents the quintessence of human rights violations with a strong psychological component. Bodies vanishing have a deterrent effect by terrorizing and paralyzing the entire society. However, the absence of those bodies is overly present in the inner experience of the families of the disappeared, who are victims in their turn. A state of severe psychological deterioration affects the relatives of the disappeared: depression, anxiety, powerlessness, guilt, post‐traumatic stress disorder, inability to mourn, even suicide are the consequences of the unbearable uncertainty about the fate of the loved one. But the disappeared persons, notwithstanding the absence of their bodies, continue to be more present than ever in the inner experience of those who have loved them. For the families of the disappeared, to regain psychological equilibrium is a fine balance between the need to remember and the necessity to forget. The author affirms that, at a social and political level, to cultivate a collective memory of enforced disappearance is an ethical duty which validates the actual occurrence of the atrocities, helps prevent repetition and alleviates the transgenerational transmission of trauma.
The evaluation of the nutritional quality of common wild edible fungi in Yunnan Province
Authors: Du Lijuan , Ye Yanping , Lin Tao , Li Maoxuan , Bi Yanan , Li Qiwan , Liu Hongcheng
Published: April 2023

There are huge resource reserves of wild edible fungi richer in their varieties in Yunnan Province which is located on plateau of low latitude and possesses unique various climate environments and bigger vegetative cover ratios. Moreover, nutrients and flavor substances in the same or various species of wild edible fungi differ greatly with the influence on different components from habitats and geographic areas. So, 5 common wild edible fungi were collected from different areas in Yunnan Province, and several findings were made from this research. Above all, through the evaluation of amino acids, these 5 fungi met the criteria for ideal protein by WHO/FAO, and the nutritional value of protein was ranked as matsutake > truffle > collybia albuminosa > bolete > chanterelle. Next, after the analysis of taste activity values, the ranking of taste was bolete > collybia albuminosa > truffle > matsutake > chanterelle. Subsequently, the ranking of characters was truffle > collybia albuminosa >bolete > matsutake > chanterelle through principal component analysis. Finally, truffle could be completely divided by Fisher discrimination analysis with a bigger difference from others, main in ash, protein, sugar, and polysaccharide, meanwhile, truffle and bolete could be completely divided by orthogonal projections to latent structures discrimination analysis, main in protein, crude fiber, fat, and amino acid. So, there was a more conspicuous difference in nutrients among fungi, through which nutrients combined with multivariate statistics analysis made possible the correct differentiation of small range categories in wild edible fungi, and the correct classification of small range of them could effectively be realized.
Can accelerated ageing models inform us on age‐related tauopathies?
Authors: Han Zhuang Zhuang , Fleet Alex , Larrieu Delphine
Published: April 2023

Ageing is the greatest risk factor of late‐onset neurodegenerative diseases. In the realm of sporadic tauopathies, modelling the process of biological ageing in experimental animals forms the foundation of searching for the molecular origin of pathogenic tau and developing potential therapeutic interventions. Although prior research into transgenic tau models offers valuable lessons for studying how tau mutations and overexpression can drive tau pathologies, the underlying mechanisms by which ageing leads to abnormal tau accumulation remains poorly understood. Mutations associated with human progeroid syndromes have been proposed to be able to mimic an aged environment in animal models. Here, we summarise recent attempts in modelling ageing in relation to tauopathies using animal models that carry mutations associated with human progeroid syndromes, or genetic elements unrelated to human progeroid syndromes, or have exceptional natural lifespans, or a remarkable resistance to ageing‐related disorders.
On Listening and Telling Anew: Possibilities for Archaeologies of Survivance
Authors: Kretzler Ian , Gonzalez Sara
Published: April 2023

Archaeologists increasingly use Gerald Vizenor's concept of survivance in research on colonial‐era Indigenous histories. However, these studies tend to situate survivance within the realm of archaeological interpretation, with less attention paid to the concept's broader intellectual tradition or implications for archaeological practice. In this article, we argue that deeper engagement with survivance scholarship stands to alter the process and product of materials‐based Indigenous histories. We discuss four definitions of survivance—as histories of struggle and success, as practice, as situated response to settler colonialism, and as storytelling—highlighting how the concept may reframe or expand existing archaeologies of colonialism. We conclude with a case study drawn from our work with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. It traces the creative reexpression of historic foodways within the Grand Ronde community during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in northwestern Oregon. Archaeologies of survivance have the potential to reposition archaeologists and their Indigenous research partners as listeners to the survivance stories composed, lived, and told by historic Indigenous communities.
Abundance variations within feeding guilds reveal ecological mechanisms behind avian species richness pattern along the elevational gradient of Mount Cameroon
Authors: Sedláček Ondřej , Pernice Riccardo , Ferenc Michal , Mudrová Karolína , Motombi Francis Njie , Albrecht Tomáš , Hořák David
Published: April 2023

Two distinct diversity patterns are observed along tropical elevations: (a) decreasing number of species toward high elevations and (b) a hump‐shaped pattern with the peak at mid‐elevations. As diversity is likely supported by ecological capacity of the environment, decomposition of the overall richness into ecological facets and considering number of individuals within them is crucial for the proper understanding of richness patterns. We examined abundances of different avian guilds along the forested part of the elevational gradient on Mt. Cameroon. We (a) compared richness and abundance elevational patterns, (b) assessed the effective contribution of multiple guilds to richness and abundance patterns, and (c) assessed to what extent observed abundances of guilds differed from those expected by chance. We sampled birds in 2011–2015 during the dry season at seven elevations (30 m, 350 m, 650 m, 1100 m, 1500 m, 1850 m, 2200 m a.s.l.). For each assemblage, we estimated proportions of species and individuals that use particular diets, foraging modes, and feeding strata. We found that a rather decreasing pattern of species richness turns into a hump‐shaped one if we look at the total abundances, implying different mechanisms behind these patterns. The number of species and individuals thus do not seem to be directly related, contrary to “the more‐individuals hypothesis.” Abundances of foliage gleaners at mid‐elevations, nectarivores at high elevations, and frugivores at low elevations deviated from random expectations. Our results imply that parts of ecological space are filled separately by bird species and individuals along elevation of Mt. Cameroon.
Positive and negative effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on families of young children in rural Colombia and implications for child outcome research
Authors: Williams Meagan E. , Berl Madison M. , Corn Elizabeth , Ansusinha Emily , Arroyave‐Wessel Margarita , Zhang Anqing , Cure Carlos , Mulkey Sarah B.
Published: April 2023

Background

The COVID‐19 pandemic has impacted the lives of children and families worldwide. The objective of this study is to examine exposures and impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on preschool‐aged children and caregivers in the Atlántico region of Colombia.

Methods

The COVID‐19 Exposure and Family Impact Scales (CEFIS) questionnaire was administered in Fall 2021 to 63 caregivers of children in Sabanalarga, Colombia enrolled in a neurodevelopment study as healthy controls. The CEFIS assesses pandemic‐related exposures/events and impact; higher scores indicate greater exposure and negative impact. Descriptive and correlation analyses among exposure and impact scores were conducted.

Results

Caregivers reported a mean (standard deviation[SD]) of 11.1 (3.2) among 25 COVID‐19‐related exposures/events; most common types included stay‐at‐home orders, school closures, disruptions to living conditions and income loss. Total number of events was correlated with higher caregiver (P < .001) and child distress (P = .002). However, the mean (SD) impact score of 2.0 (0.6) suggests a trend toward more positive impact than negative. Caregivers reported improvements to sleep, exercise and family interactions. Some caregivers (n = 21) qualitatively reported negative effects including unemployment, fear/anxiety and inability to visit family, and positive effects such as unification, family closeness and spending more time with children.

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of comprehensively exploring positive and negative impacts of COVID‐19 and families' subsequent resilience and transformation. Using tools like the CEFIS, those seeking to mitigate negative impacts can contextualize data to better understand study outcomes and tailor services, resources and policy to families' unique needs. CEFIS data likely depend on timing, economic/public health resources and cultural values; future work should prioritize understanding the generalizability of CEFIS findings across samples.
Comparison of evidence of treatment effects in randomized and nonrandomized studies on allergen immunotherapy
Authors: Di Bona Danilo , Carlucci Palma , Spataro Federico , Paoletti Giovanni , Heffler Enrico , Pulkanen Jaakko , Macchia Luigi , Giacco Stefano Del , Agache Ioana , Jutel Marek , Schünemann Holger J. , Canonica Giorgio Walter
Published: April 2023

Nonrandomized studies (NRS) on allergen immunotherapy (AIT) particularly lend themselves to evaluate outcomes that are insufficiently addressed in randomized controlled studies (RCTs). However, NRS are prone to several sources of bias, which limit their validity. We aimed at comparing AIT effects between RCTs and NRS and evaluate the reasons for discrepancies in study results. In this analysis, we compared NRS on AIT (including subcutaneous and sublingual immunotherapy, SCIT and SLIT, respectively) with SLIT and SCIT RCTs from published meta‐analyses, assessing the Risk of Bias (RoB) for each study and the certainty of evidence from NRS and RCTs using the GRADE approach. We found: (1) very serious RoB in the 7 NRS included in the meta‐analysis showing a large difference between AIT and controls (standardized mean difference [SMD] for symptom score [SS], −1.77; 95% CI, −2.30, −1.24;p < .001;I2 = 95%) with very low certainty evidence; (2) serious RoB in the 13 SCIT‐RCTs reporting a moderate‐to‐high difference between SCIT and controls (SMD for SS, −0.81; 95% CI, −1.12, −0.49;p < .001;I2 = 88%) with moderate certainty evidence; (3) low RoB in the 13 SLIT‐RCTs reporting a small benefit (SMD for SS, −0.28; 95% CI, −0.37, −0.19;p < .001;I2 = 54.2%) with high certainty evidence. Similar results were reported for medication score. Our evidence is sufficient to conclude that the magnitude of effect estimates of NRS and RCTs directly correlate with the degree of RoB and inversely with the overall evidence certainty. NRS, which are more affected than RCTs by bias resulting in low certainty evidence, showed the largest effect size. Sound NRS are needed to complement RCTs.
Periventricular nodular heterotopia associated with a “transmantle band sign” in patients with epilepsy
Authors: Hainc Nicolin , Alcaide‐Leon Paula , Willinsky Robert A. , Krings Timo , Nicholson Patrick
Published: April 2023

Objective

Previous studies using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have documented abnormal transmantle bands connecting ectopic nodules to overlying cortex in patients with periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH). We describe a similar finding using conventional MRI techniques.

Methods

Patients were identified by means of a full‐text search of radiological reports. All scanning was performed using conventional sequences at 3 Tesla (3T). Scans were reviewed by three neuroradiologists, and we characterized imaging features based on type of PNH and cortical irregularities associated with the transmantle band.

Results

A total 57 PNH patients were reviewed, of whom 41 demonstrated a “transmantle band” connecting the nodule to the overlying cortex. One or more periventricular heterotopic nodules was present in all 41 patients—this was bilateral in 29 of 41 (71%) and unilateral in the remaining 29%. In many cases there was more than one such band, and in some cases this band was nodular. In 19 of the cases, the cortex to which the band connected was abnormal, showing thinning in 4 cases, thickening in 5 cases, and polymicrogyria in another 10.

Significance

The transmantle band can be seen frequently in both unilateral and bilateral cases of PNH and can be visualized with conventional 3T MRI sequences. The band highlights the underlying neuronal migration issues at play in the pathogenesis of this disorder, but its underlying role in the complex, patient‐specific epileptogenic networks in this cohort has yet to be determined and warrants further investigation.
Auditor choice in the voluntary sector: The case of smaller organizations
Authors: Kulset Ellen M. , Sundkvist Charlotte Haugland
Published: April 2023

Smaller organizations are less likely than larger organizations to engage a high‐quality auditor to signal credibility to potential donors, but they may still have incentives to engage a high‐quality auditor (for instance, to protect themselves from a potential reputational loss). In this context, we find that fundraising voluntary organizations, which are particularly likely to be exposed to reputational concerns, because a poor reputation may have a direct negative impact on fundraising, are more likely to engage a high‐quality auditor than are other voluntary organizations. Additional analysis reveals that fundraisers are more likely to engage a Big 4 auditor than an industry specialist; this suggests that the motivation for engaging a high‐quality auditor may be to use the auditor as a scapegoat rather than to ensure superior knowledge and advice. We find that debt ratio, organizational complexity, size and financial health are also drivers of auditor choice in small, voluntary organizations.
Does an obesogenic family environment moderate the association between sports participation and body composition in children? The ENERGY project
Authors: Stavnsbo Mette , Stenling Andreas , Berntsen Sveinung , Chinapaw Mai J. M. , Hansen Bjørge H. , Manios Yannis , Molnár Dénes , Torstveit Monica K. , Verloigne Maïté , Vicente‐Rodríguez Germàn , Westergren Thomas , Bere Elling
Published: April 2023

Background

Previous research on the association between sports participation and body composition has shown mixed findings. The family home is considered one of the most influential environments on childhood obesity. Thus, the association between sports participation and body composition in children may be influenced by an obesogenic home environment.

Objectives

To investigate if an obesogenic family environment moderates the association between sports participation and body composition in children.

Methods

A total of 3999 children (54% girls; 11.6 ± 0.7 years) and their parent(s) were included from the ENERGY project. A composite obesogenic family environment risk score was created from 10 questionnaire items. Height, weight (to calculate body mass index), and waist circumference were obtained by trained researchers and used as indicators of body composition.

Results

The composite risk score significantly moderated the association between sports participation and both waist circumference and body mass index. In children from families with moderate and high obesogenic risk, organized sports participation was significantly associated with smaller waist circumference (moderate risk: −0.29, 95% CI −0.45 to −0.14; high risk: −0.46, 95% CI −0.66 to −0.25) and lower body mass index (moderate risk: −0.10, 95% CI −0.16 to −0.04; high risk: −0.14, 95% CI −0.22 to −0.06), but not in children with a low obesogenic family risk score.

Conclusions

Enrolling children in sports activities from an early age can be important for healthy weight maintenance, especially among children from obesogenic family environments.