bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Post-COVID-19 economic and environmental policy and recovery based on recurrent neural network and long short-term memory network
Authors: Hu Hui , Xiong Shuaizhou , Chen Yi , Ye Lin , Zhao Shuliang , Qian Kun , De Domenici Michael C
Published: October 2022

COVID-19 has brought significant impacts on the global economy and environment. The Global Economic-and-environmental Policy Uncertainty (GEPU) index is a critical indicator to measure the uncertainty of global economic policies. Its prediction provides evidence for the good prospect of global economic and environmental policy and recovery. This is the first study using the monthly data of GEPU from January 1997 to January 2022 to predict the GEPU index after the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models have been adopted to predict the GEPU. In general, the RNN outperforms the LSTM networks, and most results suggest that the GEPU index will remain stable or decline in the coming year. A few results point to the possibility of a short-term increase in GEPU, but still far from its two peaks during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This forecast confirms that the impact of the epidemic on global economic and environmental policy will continue to wane. Lower economic and environmental policy uncertainty facilitates global economic and environmental recovery. Economic recovery brings more opportunities and a stable macroeconomic environment, which is a positive sign for both investors and businesses. Meanwhile, for the ecological environment, the declining GEPU index marks a gradual reduction in the direct impact of policy uncertainty on sustainable development, but the indirect environmental impact of uncertainty may remain in the long run. Our prediction also provides a reference for subsequent policy formulation and related research.
Increased levitation force in a stable hybrid superconducting magnetic levitation set-up
Authors: Bernstein P , Xing Y , Noudem J G
Published: October 2022

We present results obtained with an original hybrid set-up permitting to increase strongly the levitation force of Superconducting Magnetic Levitating (SML) systems. We compare levitation force measurements carried out with this set-up to measurements carried out with a conventional one. We investigate the stability of the proposed system by measuring the lateral (or restoring) force. We show how to calculate the measured levitation and lateral forces from: (i) those measured in the conventional configuration and (ii) the repulsive force between the magnets included in the system. We discuss the conditions of stability of the proposed system as well as the consequences that its introduction could have on the future of SML MAGLEV trains.
Coexistence of coordination and anticoordination in nonlinear public goods game
Authors: Patra Arunava , Dubey Vikash Kumar , Chakraborty Sagar
Published: October 2022

There is a plethora of instances of interactions between players, in both biological and socio-economical context, that can be modeled as the paradigmatic PGG. However, in such interactions, arguably the PGG is often nonlinear in nature. This is because the increment in benefit generated, owing to additional cost contributed by the players, is realistically seldom linear. Furthermore, sometimes a social good is created due to interspecific interactions, e.g. in cooperative hunting by animals of two different species. In this paper, we study the evolutionary dynamics of a heterogenous population of cooperators and defectors playing nonlinear PGG; here we define heterogenous population as the one composed of distinct subpopulations with interactions among them. We employ the replicator equations for this investigation, and present the non-trivial effects of nonlinearity and size of the groups involved in the game. We report the possibility of discoordination, and coexistence of coordination and anti-coordination in such nonlinear PGG.
Plasticity of conducting polymer dendrites to bursts of voltage spikes in phosphate buffered saline
Authors: Scholaert Corentin , Janzakova Kamila , Coffinier Yannick , Alibart Fabien , Pecqueur Sébastien
Published: October 2022

The brain capitalizes on the complexity of both its biochemistry for neurons to encode diverse pieces of information with various neurotransmitters and its morphology at multiple scales to route different pathways for neural interconnectivity. Conducting polymer dendrites can show similar features by differentiating between cations and anions thanks to their charge accumulation profile and the asymmetry in their dendriticity that allows projecting spike signals differently. Here, we exploit such mimicry for in materio classification of bursting activity and investigate, in phosphate buffered saline, the capability of such object to sense bursts of voltage pulses of 100 mV amplitude, emitted by a local gate in the vicinity of the dendrite. The dendrite integrates the different activities with a fading memory time window that is characteristic of both the polarity of the spikes and the temporality of the burst. By this first demonstration, the ‘material-object’ definitely shows great potential to be a node halfway between the two realms of brain and electronic communication.
Efficient emission of quasi-two-dimensional perovskite films cast by inkjet printing for pixel-defined matrix light-emitting diodes
Authors: Wang Junjie , Li Danyang , Wang Jian , Peng Junbiao
Published: October 2022

Quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) perovskites are promising materials for potential application in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) due to their high exciton binding energy and efficient emission. However, their luminescent performance is limited by the low-n phases that act as quenching luminescence centers. Here, a novel strategy for eliminating low-n phases is proposed based on the doping of strontium bromide (SrBr2) in perovskites, in which SrBr2 is able to manipulate the growth of quasi-2D perovskites during their formation. It was reasonably inferred that SrBr2 readily dissociated strontium ions (Sr2+) in dimethyl sulfoxide solvent, and Sr2+ was preferentially adsorbed around [PbBr6]4− through strong electrostatic interaction between them, leading to a controllable growth of quasi-2D perovskites by appropriately increasing the formation energy of perovskites. It has been experimentally proved that the growth can almost completely eliminate low-n phases of quasi-2D perovskite films, which exhibited remarkably enhanced photoluminescence. A high electroluminescent efficiency matrix green quasi-2D perovskite-LED (PeLED) with a pixel density of 120 pixels per inch fabricated by inkjet printing technique was achieved, exhibiting a peak external quantum efficiency of 13.9%, which is the most efficient matrix green quasi-2D PeLED so far to our knowledge.
On a variational theorem of Gauduchon and torsion-critical manifolds
Authors: Zhang Dongmei , Zheng Fangyang
Published: October 2022

In 1984, Gauduchon [Math. Ann. 267 (1984), pp. 495–518] considered the functional of

L
2

L^2

-norm of his torsion

1
1

-form on a compact Hermitian manifold. He obtained the Euler-Lagrange equation for this functional, and showed that in dimension

2
2

the critical metrics must be balanced (namely with vanishing torsion

1
1

-form). In this note we extend his result to higher dimensions, and show that critical metrics are balanced in all dimensions. We also consider the

L
2

L^2

-norm of the full Chern torsion, and show by examples that there are critical points of this functional that are not Kähler.
The 2022 human monkeypox outbreak: Clinical review and management guidance
Authors: Aldhaeefi Mohammed , Rungkitwattanakul Dhakrit , Unonu Jacqueise , Franklin Careen-Joan , Lyons Jessica , Hager Katherine , Daftary Monika N
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The objective of this clinical review is to provide an overview of antiviral therapies for monkeypox treatment and summarize the role of vaccines in monkeypox prevention.

The human monkeypox virus is a double-stranded DNA virus of the Orthopoxvirus genus of the Poxviridae family. The estimated case fatality rate for monkeypox ranges between 0% and 11%. The first human monkeypox infection was reportedly due to an unidentified animal reservoir. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, isolation and infection control procedures should be followed in the care of those infected with monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus infection symptoms include rash, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, backache, and fatigue that may progress to exhaustion. Severe complications such as encephalitis, pneumonia, and retropharyngeal abscess could appear in immunocompromised or critically ill patients. There are currently no specific Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved therapies for monkeypox. As with most viral infections, supportive care is the backbone of monkeypox clinical management. However, therapies effective for smallpox, such as cidofovir, brincidofovir, and tecovirimat, have previously been reported to be effective in the management of monkeypox. Pre- and postexposure prophylaxis to prevent monkeypox transmission are recommended in the US for those at high risk for disease transmission.

Conclusion

There are no FDA-approved treatments for monkeypox infection. Surveillance and detection of monkeypox among high-risk populations should be implemented to help understand the epidemiology of this disease.
A Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness of Second Language Pragmatics Instruction
Authors: Ren Wei , Li Shaofeng , Lü Xiaoxuan
Published: October 2022

This study investigates the effects of instruction on second language (L2) pragmatic competence and the factors that moderate the effectiveness of pragmatics instruction. A comprehensive literature search yielded 29 primary studies that involved 1,898 L2 learners, generating 54 effect sizes for between-group contrasts. Aggregated results showed that pragmatics instruction had a large, positive effect on the development of pragmatic competence, g =1.656 (95% CI: 1.387–1.924). Subsequent moderator analyses demonstrated that explicit instruction yielded larger effects than implicit instruction, but the difference was not significant; pragmatics instruction was more effective in foreign language settings than in second language settings; longer treatments yielded larger effect sizes than medium and short treatments; and teaching pragmatics at the high-school level produced the largest mean effect size among all institutional levels. In addition, the outcomes measured by written discourse completion task generated the largest effects, followed by oral production tasks, while multiple-choice tasks yielded the smallest effect sizes. We discuss the results by consulting previous meta-analytic studies and the methodological characteristics of the synthesized studies.
MAGScoT: a fast, lightweight and accurate bin-refinement tool
Authors: Rühlemann Malte Christoph , Wacker Eike Matthias , Ellinghaus David , Franke Andre
Published: October 2022

Motivation

Recovery of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from shotgun metagenomic data is an important task for the comprehensive analysis of microbial communities from variable sources. Single binning tools differ in their ability to leverage specific aspects in MAG reconstruction, the use of ensemble binning refinement tools is often time consuming and computational demand increases with community complexity. We introduce MAGScoT, a fast, lightweight and accurate implementation for the reconstruction of highest-quality MAGs from the output of multiple genome-binning tools.

Results

MAGScoT outperforms popular bin-refinement solutions in terms of quality and quantity of MAGs as well as computation time and resource consumption.

Availability and implementation

MAGScoT is available via GitHub (https://github.com/ikmb/MAGScoT) and as an easy-to-use Docker container (https://hub.docker.com/repository/docker/ikmb/magscot).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Differences in the management of patients requiring an emergency resection for colonic cancer in two European populations
Authors: Taylor John C , Iversen Lene H , Burke Dermot , Finan Paul J , Iles Mark M , Morris Eva J A , Quirke Philip ,   YCR BCIP Study Group, Absolom K , Swinson D , Tolan D , Howell S , Alderson S , Glover A , Hindley A , Rossington H , Mara J , Boldison E
Published: October 2022

Background

Patients with colonic cancer who require emergency colonic cancer surgery often experience poorer outcomes compared with their elective counterparts. In this setting, several treatments approaches are available. In 2009, Danish guidelines recommended treatment with stent for obstruction in left-sided tumours as a bridge to surgery, if expertise is accessible. The aim of this study was to compare the use of elective and emergency resections for colonic cancer and postoperative mortality in two similar demographic populations.

Methods

All patients who underwent a major resection for colonic cancer, between 2005 and 2016 in Denmark and Yorkshire (UK) were identified. The proportion undergoing emergency surgery, the proportion receiving a stent procedure before their resection, and 30-day postoperative mortality were compared between the populations. Logistic regression was used to determine changes in the proportion of those undergoing emergency surgery and 30-day postoperative mortality.

Results

Out of 45 397 patients treated during the study interval, 41 880 were selected. Emergency surgery decreased in Denmark from 16.6 per cent in 2005–07 to 12.9 per cent in 2014–16, but increased in Yorkshire (13.5 per cent to 16.8 per cent). Danish patients with left-sided tumours were less likely to undergo emergency surgery (risk ratio 0.90, 95 per cent c.i. 0.82 to 0.99) and an increase in stent use coincided with a statistically significant decrease in emergency surgery in these patients. Thirty-day postoperative mortality in all resections (elective and emergency) decreased in both populations, but a larger decrease was observed in Denmark (7.7 per cent to 3.0 per cent in Denmark and 7.1 per cent to 3.3 per cent in Yorkshire).

Conclusion

Patients in Denmark experienced a reduction in the use of emergency resection and increase in stenting procedures, following the policy implemented in some departments of converting potential emergency resections into elective resections.
‘Being Invisible, They Seemed Dead Already’: Afterlives of the Dead Wife in A Passage to India
Authors: Hashmi Sania Iqbal
Published: October 2022

Gail Minault has argued that the absence of Muslim women from colonial narratives on India is typically attributed to the women’s veiling practices. The colonizers contended that they couldn’t possibly write about that which they could not see. We find resonances of that outlook in E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India, which, as this article will argue, is constructed upon and around the narrative invisibilization of Muslim women in general, and Dr Aziz’s dead wife in particular. Through a close reading of the dead wife’s photographic and mnemonic trace in the novel, the article shall observe how her character (or the lack thereof) emerges as the grounds upon which Aziz’s relationship is defined with the English characters. It shall then take cognisance of the dead wife’s invisibilization beyond Forster, and examine how and why her story has hitherto escaped serious critical enquiry among postcolonial (and) feminist scholars who have worked extensively on Forster’s novel. Even though Indian feminist (and) post-colonial theory has presented to us a nuanced understanding of women’s subalternity at the hands of the white and the brown man, there appears to be a widespread essentialization at play, which absorbs the lived realities of non-Hindu and non-upper caste women. With sole focus on the figure of the Indian Muslim woman in the project of decolonization, this article will examine how the principles and structures of invisibilization are perpetuated from the logic of colonial bondage to the myth of post-colonial freedom(s).
The Prognostic Value of Duke Treadmill Score in Prediction of MPI Result
Authors: El Kersh Ahmed Mokhtar , Abdo El deeb Hend Mohammed , Mohamed Yousof Abdullah Mustafa
Published: October 2022

Objective

This study was designed to reinforce the duke treadmill score of anginas during the treadmill stress test through a comparative study between the result of SPECT MPI study and the duke treadmill score of the suspected CAD since many centers and cardiology units have no capability of MPI study and eventually, that improve the early detection and the management of the high-risk cases in the limited units.

Background

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and in our country Egypt. The diagnosis of CAD can be difficult to make. Frequently, the disease is diagnosed only after the patient has had a heart attack as symptoms of CAD range from unstable angina to no symptoms at all. Duke treadmill score (DTS) is well recognized as a simple prognostic score in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).

Patients and Methods

A retrospective review of the studies patients underwent stress treadmill test MPI between January to October 2020 were consecutively included in our study. The study was conducted in ALFA Scan Radiology Center, Cairo, Egypt.

Results

There was a highly statistically significant difference between the high risk and the other 2 groups (low & moderate) regarding the inability to continue the test. Where High-risk group showed an increased incidence of early inability to continue and there was a significant relation between the duke treadmill score and Aston summed stress score among the studied patients (P= 0.018).

Conclusion

Duke's score is valid in predicting coronary arterial disease. High-risk Duke's score patients need to be referred directly to coronary angiography for they usually have significant coronary disease. DTS can provide pre-processing guidance about revascularization for physicians before the procedure.

Additional Content

An author video to accompany this abstract is available on https://academic.oup.com/eurheartjsupp. Please click on the arrow next to ‘More Content’ and then click on ‘Author videos’.
Using Strategic Litigation and Universal Jurisdiction to Advance Accountability for Serious International Crimes
Authors: McGonigle Leyh Brianne
Published: October 2022

ABSTRACT∞

This article addresses what the increased role of strategic litigation and universal jurisdiction for serious international crimes in domestic courts means for international criminal justice by exploring the opportunities and risks as well as implications for the field. A number of key overlapping and countervailing trends stand out: (i) a growing landscape where domestic legal systems are playing larger roles; (ii) a constantly proliferating and complex transnational network of actors – formal and informal – involved in the pursuit of accountability; and (iii) a risk of further entrenching Eurocentrism of international criminal justice resulting from the dominance of European domestic courts for the prosecution of international crimes under universal jurisdiction. The article concludes by stressing the importance of strategic litigation and universal jurisdiction and the role played by civil society in pursuing accountability for serious international crimes, and puts forward some modest recommendations for mitigating some of the identified risks.
FBBVA Lecture 2022: What Drives Wage Stagnation: Monopsony or Monopoly?
Authors: Deb Shubhdeep , Eeckhout Jan , Patel Aseem , Warren Lawrence
Published: October 2022

Wages for the vast majority of workers have stagnated since the 1980s while, productivity has grown. We investigate two coexisting explanations based on rising market power: (1) monopsony, where dominant firms exploit the limited mobility of their own workers to pay lower wages; and (2) monopoly, where dominant firms charge too high prices for what they sell, which lowers production and the demand for labor, and hence equilibrium wages economy-wide. Using establishment data from the US Census Bureau between 1997 and 2016, we find evidence of both monopoly and monopsony, where the former is rising over this period and the latter is stable. Both contribute to the decoupling of productivity and wage growth, with monopoly being the primary determinant: In 2016, monopoly accounts for 75% of wage stagnation, monopsony for 25%.
Gas accretion and ram pressure stripping of haloes in void walls
Authors: Thompson B B , Smith R , Kraljic K
Published: October 2022

We conduct hydrodynamical cosmological zoom simulations of 14 voids to study the ability of haloes to accrete gas at different locations throughout the voids at z  = 0. Measuring the relative velocity of haloes with respect to their ambient gas, we find that one-tenth of the haloes are expected to be unable to accrete external gas due to its fast flow passed them (so called ‘fast flow haloes’). These are typically located near void walls. We determine that these haloes have recently crossed the void wall and are still moving away from it. Their motion counter to that of ambient gas falling towards the void wall results in fast flows that make external gas accretion very challenging, and often cause partial gas loss via the resultant ram pressures. Using an analytical approach, we model the impact of such ram pressures on the gas inside haloes of different masses. A halo’s external gas accretion is typically cut off, with partial stripping of halo gas. For masses below a few times 109 M⊙, their halo gas is heavily truncated but not completely stripped. We identify numerous examples of haloes with a clear jelly-fish like gas morphology, indicating their surrounding gas is being swept away, cutting them off from further external accretion. These results highlight how, even in the relatively low densities of void walls, a fraction of galaxies can interact with large-scale flows in a manner that has consequences for their gas content and ability to accrete gas.
Size controllable single-crystalline Ni-rich cathodes for high-energy lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Shi Ji-Lei , Sheng Hang , Meng Xin-Hai , Zhang Xu-Dong , Lei Dan , Sun Xiaorui , Pan Hongyi , Wang Junyang , Yu Xiqian , Wang Chunsheng , Li Yangxing , Guo Yu-Guo
Published: October 2022

A single-crystalline Ni-rich (SCNR) cathode with a large particle size can achieve higher energy density, and is safer, than polycrystalline counterparts. However, synthesizing large SCNR cathodes (>5 μm) without compromising electrochemical performance is very challenging due to the incompatibility between Ni-rich cathodes and high temperature calcination. Herein, we introduce Vegard's Slope as a guide for rationally selecting sintering aids, and we successfully synthesize size-controlled SCNR cathodes, the largest of which can be up to 10 μm. Comprehensive theoretical calculation and experimental characterization show that sintering aids continuously migrate to the particle surface, suppress sublattice oxygen release and reduce the surface energy of the typically exposed facets, which promotes grain boundary migration and elevates calcination critical temperature. The dense SCNR cathodes, fabricated by packing of different-sized SCNR cathode particles, achieve a highest electrode press density of 3.9 g cm−3 and a highest volumetric energy density of 3000 Wh L−1. The pouch cell demonstrates a high energy density of 303 Wh kg−1, 730 Wh L−1 and 76% capacity retention after 1200 cycles. SCNR cathodes with an optimized particle size distribution can meet the requirements for both electric vehicles and portable devices. Furthermore, the principle for controlling the growth of SCNR particles can be widely applied when synthesizing other materials for Li-ion, Na-ion and K-ion batteries.
Human Monkeypox in People With HIV: Transmission, Clinical Features, and Outcome
Authors: Vivancos-Gallego María Jesús , Sánchez-Conde Matilde , Rodríguez-Domínguez Mario , Fernandez-Gonzalez Pablo , Martínez-García Laura , Garcia-Mouronte Emilio , Martínez-Sanz Javier , Moreno-Zamora Ana María , Casado Jose Luis , Ron Raquel , Galán Juan Carlos , Pérez-Elías María Jesús , Moreno Santiago
Published: October 2022

We describe the first 25 persons with HIV diagnosed with human monkeypox virus (MPXV) in our hospital in an ongoing outbreak in Spain. Proctitis was the predominant finding in 52%, and MPXV DNA was detected in rectal swabs from 90%. Proctitis and demonstration of MPXV in rectal swabs support the sexual transmission of MPXV.
Clinical and Radiologic Factors Associated With Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Children Under 5 Years old Using Invasive and Noninvasive Sample Collection Techniques—Kenya
Authors: Smith Jonathan P , Song Rinn , McCarthy Kimberly D , Mchembere Walter , Click Eleanor S , Cain Kevin P
Published: October 2022

Background

Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) remains a critical public health concern, yet bacteriologic confirmation of TB in children is challenging. Clinical, demographic, and radiological factors associated with a positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis specimen in young children (≤5 years) are poorly understood.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of young children with presumptive TB and examined clinical, demographic, and radiologic factors associated with invasive and noninvasive specimen collection techniques (gastric aspirate, induced sputum, nasopharyngeal aspirate, stool, and string test); up to 2 samples were taken per child, per technique. We estimated associations between these factors and a positive specimen for each technique using generalized estimating equations (GEEs) and logistic regression.

Results

A median (range) of 544 (507–566) samples were obtained for each specimen collection technique from 300 enrolled children; bacteriologic yield was low across all collection techniques (range, 1%–7% from Xpert MTB/RIF or culture), except for lymph node fine needle aspiration (29%) taken for children with cervical lymphadenopathy. Factors associated with positive M. tuberculosis samples across all techniques included prolonged lethargy (median [range] adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 8.1 [3.9–10.1]), history of exposure with a TB case (median [range] aOR, 6.1 [2.9–9.0]), immunologic evidence of M. tuberculosis infection (median [range] aOR, 4.6 [3.7–9.2]), large airway compression (median [range] aOR, 6.7 [4.7–9.5]), and hilar/mediastinal density (median [range] aOR, 2.9 [1.7–3.2]).

Conclusions

Identifying factors that lead to a positive M. tuberculosis specimen in very young children can inform clinical management and increase the efficiency of diagnostic testing in children being assessed for TB.
Hermann Hoffmann’s 1921 Monograph: “The Offspring of Endogenous Psychoses: Genealogical-Characterological Examinations”
Authors: Kendler Kenneth S , Klee Astrid
Published: October 2022

Five years after the publication of Rüdin’s major sibling study, Hermann Hoffmann, working with Rüdin, performed the first systematic study of the risk for dementia praecox (DP) in offspring of DP probands. Field work was limited to 3 months. Hoffmann ascertained families with at least one parent with certain DP, after Kraepelin, with children the youngest of whom were at least 30 years old. These families contained 103 offspring 30 years or older of whom 7 had definite DP and two possible DP for an estimated risk of 6.8%–8.7%. Hoffmann assessed schizoidia in these children, reporting the quite high risk figure of 47.6%. Hoffmann explored a wide range of two and three locus recessive models in his modest sample. He finds Rüdin’s two locus recessive model at the boundary of his results and then reviews three additional more complex models. The simplest is a three-locus recessive model which fits his data better. He also explores an oligogenic three locus model with risk classes of individuals with 1 to 6 risk alleles and an epistatic model where two loci form a di-recessive model for schizoidia, and the third locus is a dominant required for the expression of psychosis. Hoffman questioned whether DP was a “unit-character” appropriate for Mendelian analysis and advocated for a much larger study of offspring. His work should be appreciated in light of his enthusiastic endorsement of Nazi eugenic goals.
Bruno Schulz’s 1933 Monograph: On the Hereditary Etiology of Schizophrenia
Authors: Kendler Kenneth S , Klee Astrid
Published: October 2022

In his 1933 article, Bruno Schulz reported a follow-up and reanalysis of the schizophrenic probands and their relatives first studied by Rüdin 20 years earlier that sought to clarify whether schizophrenia was a valid “unit-character” for Mendelian genetic analysis. He proposed a range of subgroupings of probands, particularly traditional subtyping, presence or absence of identifiable causal influences, and outcome. He then compared those subgroupings in several ways, most commonly by the risk for schizophrenia in their siblings and by the level of resemblance among proband-sibling affected pairs. Of his many findings, those of greatest interest included (1) probands with possible and probable physical causes, particularly those with head trauma, had substantially lower risk of illness in siblings, (2) probands with a hebephrenic subtype had a striking elevation of risk for schizophrenia in siblings, (3) probands with psychological causes had higher rates of good outcome, (4) proband-sibling pairs resembled one another for the classical schizophrenic subtypes, and (5) an absence of any cases of schizophrenia in siblings of a small group of schizophrenic probands with birth complications, convulsions, and skull deformities. Schulz used this sample in a fundamentally different way than Rüdin. Rather than seeking for Mendelian transmission patterns, Schulz used family data to evaluate hypothesis about clinical/etiological heterogeneity, thereby presaging many subsequent family studies of psychiatric disorders. While Schulz did not claim to have proved the etiologic heterogeneity of schizophrenia, he raised important questions, still unanswered, about whether schizophrenia is a legitimate “unit-character” appropriate for genetic analysis.
Rising abuse of veterinary drugs
Authors: Quail M. Thomas
Published: October 2022

There has been a significant increase in veterinary drugs found on toxicology screens and postmortem analyses, especially in the Northeast region of the US. This article details the effects and treatment of two common culprits: xylazine and tiletamine-zolazepam.
Operation HOPE
Authors: Harris Margaret , Connolly Teresa , Thoe Lisa , Kinniburgh Jason , Speary Robert , France Tami
Published: October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges to healthcare organizations across the world. This article describes an international joint venture between Mayo Clinic and Abu Dhabi to care for an increasing number of patients with COVID-19.
Evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and research
Authors: Grys Crystal A.
Published: October 2022

Understanding the key similarities and differences between quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and research can help improve nursing practice. This article presents visual models to illustrate the relationship between these processes.
Simultaneous Management of Alcohol Use Disorder and Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Elfeki Mohamed A. , Abdallah Mohamed A. , Leggio Lorenzo , Singal Ashwani K.
Published: October 2022

Objectives

Management of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is rarely used in patients with liver disease. We performed a systematic review to examine the impact of AUD management among patients with liver disease.

Methods

Twenty studies fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria on 38,329 patients (7072 receiving AUD intervention) with liver disease (15 with liver disease and 6 liver transplant [LT] recipients) were analyzed. One study was common to both groups. Variable follow-up period across studies was weighted for sample size and converting to person-years. Primary outcome was alcohol use, and secondary outcomes were liver decompensation and patient mortality.

Results

Abstinence and alcohol relapse rates/person-year with AUD intervention among liver disease patients were 0.41 (0.27–0.55) and 0.42 (0.30–0.755), similar for integrated (colocated liver and addiction clinics) versus concomitant (separate hepatology and addiction clinics) intervention. Compared with standard of care, odds for decompensation with AUD intervention (n = 1), 30-day readmission (n = 1), and patient mortality (n = 2) were lower by 44%, 59%, and 58% respectively. Similar figures were 1.24 (0.86–1.80) for abstinence and 0.52 (0.24–0.14) for relapse. Among LT recipients, odds for alcohol relapse and mortality with follow-up integrated with addiction team versus hepatology alone were 0.48 (0.25–0.72) and 0.29 (0.08–0.99), respectively.

Conclusions

Follow-up of LT recipients in an integrated clinic with addiction team is associated with improved outcomes. Simultaneous management of AUD in patients with liver disease improves liver-related outcomes. Large prospective studies are needed to examine benefits of AUD intervention in patients with liver disease.
Syndromic Treatment of STIs in Low-income Countries is Inadequate: Current Threats and Future Directions
Authors: Kopkin Rachel , Grenvik Jessica M. , Chiweza Chikondi , Iwuh Ibe , Wilkinson Jeffrey
Published: October 2022

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a serious public health threat with more than 1 million curable infections diagnosed every day. While these infections are prevalent globally, the approach to evaluation and treatment varies greatly based on the capacity to make an accurate diagnosis. In low-resource settings, a syndromic approach is often used over an etiologic-based evaluation and management. Syndromic treatment of STIs recognizes groups of symptoms and recommends a multidrug empiric treatment that will cover the most likely causative organisms. By definition, syndromic treatment cannot be used as a screening tool, leaving a large portion of asymptomatic infections untreated. This will lead to the persistence of infection and associated sequelae including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Syndromic treatment also leads to the overtreatment of many infections, which contributes to antimicrobial resistance. The rising threat of Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistance to last-line antibiotics is of global concern. Rapid, accurate, affordable, and easy-to-use point-of-care testing needs to be made readily available to all corners of the world to provide better care to patients and address the growing threat of multidrug resistant organisms. An urgent and collaborative global effort is needed to address the looming threat of a dangerous STI that is resistant to last-line antibiotics.
Effectiveness and Safety of iStent Infinite Trabecular Micro-Bypass for Uncontrolled Glaucoma
Authors: Sarkisian Steven R. , Grover Davinder S. , Gallardo Mark J. , Brubaker Jacob W. , Giamporcaro Jane Ellen , Hornbeak Dana M. , Katz L. Jay , Navratil Tomas ,   for the iStent infinite Study Group
Published: October 2022

Précis:

The iStent Infinite Trabecular Micro-Bypass System implanted in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG) (uncontrolled by prior surgical or medical therapy) was effective in reducing mean diurnal intraocular pressure with a favorable safety profile.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to evaluate safety and effectiveness of the iStent infinite Trabecular Micro-Bypass System in patients with OAG uncontrolled by prior surgical or medical therapy.

Design:

Prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label clinical trial.

Methods:

Implantation of iStent infinite (3 iStent inject W stents) was performed as a stand-alone surgical procedure in eyes with OAG uncontrolled by prior incisional or cilioablative surgeries or maximum tolerated medical therapy (MTMT). Prospectively declared effectiveness endpoints were proportion of eyes achieving ≥20% mean diurnal intraocular pressure (MDIOP) reduction from baseline at month 12 on the same or fewer intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering medication classes (responder endpoint) and mean change in MDIOP from baseline at month 12. Safety parameters included visual acuity, slit-lamp and fundus examinations, gonioscopy, perimetry, surgical complications, and adverse events.

Results:

Seventy-two eyes of 72 patients (mean age 71.9 y) with preoperative mean medicated MDIOP of 23.4±2.8 mm Hg on a mean of 3.1±0.9 IOP-lowering medication classes were enrolled: 61 eyes with failed prior surgery/ies (Failed-Surgery subgroup) and 11 eyes uncontrolled on MTMT (MTMT subgroup). A total of 76.1% of all enrolled patients met the responder endpoint (73.4% Failed-Surgery, 90.9% MTMT), with mean reduction (SE) in MDIOP at month 12 of 5.9(0.6) mm Hg [5.5(0.7) mm Hg Failed-Surgery subgroup, 8.1(0.9) mm Hg MTMT subgroup]. For patients on the same or fewer medication(s) as baseline, 53.0% achieved ≥30% MDIOP reduction without surgical interventions/other events. Safety was favorable, with no explants, infection, or device-related interventions or hypotony.

Conclusions:

iStent infinite stand-alone surgery achieved clinically significant IOP reduction and favorable safety in patients with OAG uncontrolled by prior therapy.
Are Video Recordings Reliable for Assessing Surgical Performance? A Prospective Reliability Study Using Generalizability Theory
Authors: Frithioff Andreas , Frendø Martin , Foghsgaard Søren , Sørensen Mads Sølvsten , Andersen Steven Arild Wuyts
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Reliability is pivotal in surgical skills assessment. Video-based assessment can be used for objective assessment without physical presence of assessors. However, its reliability for surgical assessments remains largely unexplored. In this study, we evaluated the reliability of video-based versus physical assessments of novices' surgical performances on human cadavers and 3D-printed models—an emerging simulation modality.

Methods

Eighteen otorhinolaryngology residents performed 2 to 3 mastoidectomies on a 3D-printed model and 1 procedure on a human cadaver. Performances were rated by 3 experts evaluating the final surgical result using a well-known assessment tool. Performances were rated both hands-on/physically and by video recordings. Interrater reliability and intrarater reliability were explored using κ statistics and the optimal number of raters and performances required in either assessment modality was determined using generalizability theory.

Results

Interrater reliability was moderate with a mean κ score of 0.58 (range 0.53–0.62) for video-based assessment and 0.60 (range, 0.55–0.69) for physical assessment. Video-based and physical assessments were equally reliable (G coefficient 0.85 vs. 0.80 for 3D-printed models and 0.86 vs 0.87 for cadaver dissections). The interaction between rater and assessment modality contributed to 8.1% to 9.1% of the estimated variance. For the 3D-printed models, 2 raters evaluating 2 video-recorded performances or 3 raters physically assessing 2 performances yielded sufficient reliability for high-stakes assessment (G coefficient >0.8).

Conclusions

Video-based and physical assessments were equally reliable. Some raters were affected by changing from physical to video-based assessment; consequently, assessment should be either physical or video based, not a combination.
Modelling biological puncture: a mathematical framework for determining the energetics and scaling
Authors: Zhang Bingyang , Anderson Philip S. L.
Published: October 2022

Biological puncture systems use a diversity of morphological tools (stingers, teeth, spines etc.) to penetrate target tissues for a variety of functions (prey capture, defence, reproduction). These systems are united by a set of underlying physical rules which dictate their mechanics. While previous studies have illustrated form–function relationships in individual systems, these underlying rules have not been formalized. We present a mathematical model for biological puncture events based on energy balance that allows for the derivation of analytical scaling relations between energy expenditure and shape, size and material response. The model identifies three necessary energy contributions during puncture: fracture creation, elastic deformation of the material and overcoming friction during penetration. The theoretical predictions are verified using finite-element analyses and experimental tests. Comparison between different scaling relationships leads to a ratio of released fracture energy and deformation energy contributions acting as a measure of puncture efficiency for a system that incorporates both tool shape and material response. The model represents a framework for exploring the diversity of biological puncture systems in a rigorous fashion and allows future work to examine how fundamental physical laws influence the evolution of these systems.
A theoretical framework to analyse the flow of particles in a dynamical system with stochastic transition rates and site capacities
Authors: Jain Aditi , Kumar Arun , Kumar Gupta Arvind
Published: October 2022

We study the stochasticity in a dynamical model: ribosome flow model with different site sizes that models the unidirectional movement of particles controlled by transition rates along a lattice having different site sizes. Our work models the parameters as random variables with known distributions and investigates the steady-state flow rate under this notion by using tools from the random matrix theory. Some closed-form theoretical results are derived for the steady-state flow rate under some restrictive assumptions such as random variables being independent and identically distributed. Furthermore, for arbitrary but bounded stochastic transition rates, stochastic site capacities, or both, we establish bounds for the steady-state flow rate. Our analysis can be generalized and applied to study the flow of particles in numerous transport systems in the stochastic environment.
Taking a stab at modelling canine tooth biomechanics in mammalian carnivores with beam theory and finite-element analysis
Authors: Pollock Tahlia I. , Panagiotopoulou Olga , Hocking David P. , Evans Alistair R.
Published: October 2022

Canine teeth are vital to carnivore feeding ecology, facilitating behaviours related to prey capture and consumption. Forms vary with specific feeding ecologies; however, the biomechanics that drive these relationships have not been comprehensively investigated. Using a combination of beam theory analysis (BTA) and finite-element analysis (FEA) we assessed how aspects of canine shape impact tooth stress, relating this to feeding ecology. The degree of tooth lateral compression influenced tolerance of multidirectional loads, whereby canines with more circular cross-sections experienced similar maximum stresses under pulling and shaking loads, while more ellipsoid canines experienced higher stresses under shaking loads. Robusticity impacted a tooth's ability to tolerate stress and appears to be related to prey materials. Robust canines experience lower stresses and are found in carnivores regularly encountering hard foods. Slender canines experience higher stresses and are associated with carnivores biting into muscle and flesh. Curvature did not correlate with tooth stress; however, it did impact bending during biting. Our simulations help identify scenarios where canine forms are likely to break and pinpoint areas where this breakage may occur. These patterns demonstrate how canine shape relates to tolerating the stresses experienced when killing and feeding, revealing some of the form–function relationships that underpin mammalian carnivore ecologies.
Age, but not hand preference, is related to personality traits in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Masilkova Michaela , Šlipogor Vedrana , Lima Marques Silva Guilherme Henrique , Hadová Magdaléna , Lhota Stanislav , Bugnyar Thomas , Konečná Martina
Published: October 2022

The proximate mechanisms underlying animal personalities, i.e. consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour, are a matter of discussion. Brain lateralization, expressed as the preferred use of the contralateral limb, has been suggested as one of these mechanisms. In this study, we measured a proxy of brain lateralization in captive common marmosets (N= 28) by testing hand preference in a simple food-reaching task and evaluated personality by coding a wide range of behaviours observed in daily situations. We explored the links between personality and both direction and strength of hand preference, as well as age and sex, using linear models. Principal component analysis revealed that the stable behavioural variables were organized in three personality dimensions: Agreeableness, Extraversion and Neuroticism. Regarding hand preference, 14 individuals were left-handed, seven were right-handed and seven were ambilateral. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find any relationship between personality scores and hand preference or sex. Instead, age was a significant predictor of personality scores, with older individuals being more agreeable and less extraverted. The link between brain lateralization and personality seems to be equivocal and dependent on personality and brain lateralization assessment methods. Further examinations of other proximate mechanisms, such as physiology or (epi)genetics, may elucidate what drives personality variation in common marmosets.
Growing up in a crowd: social environment shapes the offspring's early exploratory phenotype in a colonial breeding species
Authors: Salas Reyes , Lens Luc , Stienen Eric , Verbruggen Frederick , Müller Wendt
Published: October 2022

In colonial breeding species, the number of adverse social interactions during early life typically varies with breeding density. Phenotypic plasticity can help deal with this social context, by allowing offspring to adjust their behaviour. Furthermore, offspring may not be unprepared since mothers can allocate resources to their embryos that may pre-adjust them to the post-hatching conditions. Thus, we hypothesize that lesser black-backed gull chicks raised in dense breeding areas, with greater exposure to intra-specific aggression, show higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of exploration compared to chicks in low-density areas, and that this is facilitated by prenatal effects. To test this, we cross-fostered clutches within and across pre-defined high- and low-breeding density areas. We measured chicks' anxiety and exploration activity in an open-field test that included a novel and a familiar object. We found that both pre- and post-natal social environment contributed nearly equally and shaped the offspring's exploratory behaviour, but not its anxiety, in an additive way. Post-natal effects could reflect a learned avoidance of intra-specific aggression, yet identifying the pathways of the prenatal effects will require further study.