bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid fatty acids detection of vegetable oils by Raman spectroscopy based on competitive adaptive reweighted sampling coupled with support vector regression
Authors: Pang Linjiang , Chen Hui , Yin Liqing , Cheng Jiyu , Jin Jiande , Zhao Honghui , Liu Zhihao , Dong Longlong , Yu Huichun , Lu Xinghua
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The composition and content of fatty acids are critical indicators of vegetable oil quality. To overcome the drawbacks of traditional detection methods, Raman spectroscopy was investigated for the fast determination of the fatty acids composition of oil.

Materials and Methods

Rapeseed and soybean oil at different depths of the oil tank at different storage times were collected and an eighth-degree polynomial function was used to fit the Raman spectrum. Then, the multivariate scattering correction, standard normal variable transformation (SNV), and Savitzky–Golay convolution smoothing methods were compared.

Results

Polynomial fitting combined with SNV was found to be the optimal pretreatment method. Characteristic wavelengths were selected by competitive adaptive reweighted sampling. For monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and saturated fatty acids (SFAs), 44, 75, and 92 characteristic wavelengths of rapeseed oil, and 60, 114, and 60 characteristic wavelengths of soybean oil were extracted. Support vector regression was used to establish the prediction model. The R2 values of the prediction results of MUFAs, PUFAs, and SFAs for rapeseed oil were 0.9670, 0.9568, and 0.9553, and the root mean square error (RMSE) values were 0.0273, 0.0326, and 0.0340, respectively. The R2 values of the prediction results of fatty acids for soybean oil were respectively 0.9414, 0.9562, and 0.9422, and RMSE values were 0.0460, 0.0378, and 0.0548, respectively. A good correlation coefficient and small RMSE value were obtained, indicating the results to be highly accurate and reliable.

Conclusions

Raman spectroscopy, based on competitive adaptive reweighted sampling coupled with support vector regression, can rapidly and accurately analyze the fatty acid composition of vegetable oil.
Leading the way: competencies of leadership to prevent mis-implementation of public health programs
Authors: Moreland-Russell Sarah , Farah Saliba Louise , Rodriguez Weno Emily , Smith Romario , Padek Margaret , Brownson Ross C
Published: September 2022

Public health agencies are increasingly concerned with ensuring that they are maximizing limited resources by delivering effective programs to enhance population-level health outcomes. Preventing mis-implementation (ending effective activities prematurely or continuing ineffective ones) is necessary to sustain public health efforts and resources needed to improve health and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to identify the important qualities of leadership in preventing mis-implementation of public health programs. In 2019, 45 state health department chronic disease employees were interviewed via phone and audio-recorded, and the conversations were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis focused on items related to mis-implementation and the manners in which leadership were involved in continuing ineffective programs. Final themes were based on a Public Health Leadership Competency Framework. The following themes emerged from their interviews regarding the important leadership competencies to prevent mis-implementation: ‘(1) leadership and communication; (2) collaborative leadership (3) leadership to adapt programs; (4) leadership and organizational learning and development; and (5) political leadership’. This first of its kind study showed the close interrelationship between mis-implementation and leadership. Increased attention to public health leader competencies might help to reduce mis-implementation in public health practice and lead to more effective and efficient use of limited resources.
Nonselfadjoint impedance in Generalized Optimized Schwarz Methods
Authors: Claeys X
Published: September 2022

We present a convergence theory for Optimized Schwarz Methods that rely on a nonlocal exchange operator and covers the case of coercive possibly nonselfadjoint impedance operators. This analysis also naturally deals with the presence of cross-points in subdomain partitions of arbitrary shape. In the particular case of hermitian positive definite impedance, we recover the theory proposed in Claeys & Parolin (2021).
Physician awareness of social determinants of health documentation capability in the electronic health record
Authors: Iott Bradley E , Pantell Matthew S , Adler-Milstein Julia , Gottlieb Laura M
Published: September 2022

Healthcare organizations are increasing social determinants of health (SDH) screening and documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). Physicians may use SDH data for medical decision-making and to provide referrals to social care resources. Physicians must be aware of these data to use them, however, and little is known about physicians’ awareness of EHR-based SDH documentation or documentation capabilities. We therefore leveraged national physician survey data to measure level of awareness and variation by physician, practice, and EHR characteristics to inform practice- and policy-based efforts to drive medical-social care integration. We identify higher levels of social needs documentation awareness among physicians practicing in community health centers, those participating in payment models with social care initiatives, and those aware of other advanced EHR functionalities. Findings indicate that there are opportunities to improve physician education and training around new EHR-based SDH functionalities.
Investigative and Charging Considerations for International Crimes Targeting Individuals on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Authors: Leddy Nicholas
Published: September 2022

International crimes targeting persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity have been documented since at least the Nazi persecution and murder of LGBTIQ+ persons in World War II, and continue in modern campaigns by ISIS in Iraq, among other places. Yet few, if any, perpetrators have ever been held accountable for such crimes, and there remains a dearth of specialized practical guidance for investigators or prosecutors. Attempting to fill this gap in scholarship and practice, this article outlines the legal basis for possible crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as investigative and prosecutorial guidelines for them. First, it demonstrates how gender persecution in the Rome Statute includes persecution on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, as found in a recent case at the Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace (‘Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz’ or JEP). Drawing on recent ICC cases from Mali and Sudan, as well as preliminary examinations conducted in Afghanistan and Nigeria, this article further explains how the social construction of gender underpins gender persecution in the ICC system. Second, this article outlines additional avenues under the Rome Statute for accountability for violence against LGBTIQ+ persons, including the war crime of torture, or as demonstrated in the Myanmar/Bangladesh situation, to prove contextual elements of crimes against humanity. Finally, this article offers concrete recommendations for investigators and prosecutors examining these international crimes, using an intersectional, gender-competent and trauma-informed lens to better understand and address victims’ trauma, to present their evidence effectively in court, and to obtain the most complete, truthful and coherent account of events possible. It concludes that there are multiple avenues through which such evidence can be investigated and elicited in court, and encourages practitioners to do so when possible to document and honour the particularized harm this group experiences.
Seasonal droughts drive up carbon gain in a subtropical forest
Authors: Njoroge Brian , Li Yuelin , Otieno Dennis , Liu Shizhong , Wei Simin , Meng Ze , Zhang Qianmei , Zhang Deqiang , Liu Juxiu , Chu Guowei , Haider Fasih Ullah , Tenhunen John
Published: September 2022

The study aimed to show that droughts are increasing in frequency and intensity in the Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve and to illustrate the effects of seasonal droughts on carbon gain in a subtropical forest. This is in response to the threat posed by increased droughts due to global climate change. We used four drought indices to accurately determine periods of drought and periods of increased precipitation. Thereafter, the measured eddy flux and soil moisture content data collected from 2003 to 2014 were compared between the droughts and wet periods to determine drought impacts on the ecosystem carbon gain. Drought accounted for about 20% of the 12-year study period, with the highest drought events and severity occurring between 2012 and 2013. The average annual precipitation and air temperature during the study period were 1404.57 ± 43.2 mm and 22.65 ± 0.1 °C, respectively, showing a decrease of 523 mm in precipitation and an increase of 2.55 °C in temperature, compared with the 30-year records (1990–2020). Contrary to most published data for most forest ecosystems globally, Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve recorded significant carbon gain during 60% of the drought period.
Rotavirus Vaccine Impact Within an Integrated Healthcare Delivery System in the United States
Authors: Burke Rachel M , Tate Jacqueline E , Groom Holly , Parashar Umesh D , Mattison Claire P , Donald Judy , Salas S Bianca , Naleway Allison L , Lee Mi H , Dickerson John F , Biggs Christianne , Tsaknaridis Laura , Bowen Michael D , Schmidt Mark , Hall Aron J
Published: September 2022

We assessed rotavirus vaccine impact using data on acute gastroenteritis (AGE) encounters within an integrated healthcare delivery system during 2000–2018. Following rotavirus vaccine introduction, all-cause AGE rates among children <5 years declined by 36% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 32%–40%) for outpatient and 54% (95% CI: 46%–60%) for inpatient encounters.
Modelling self-interacting dark matter substructures – I. Calibration with N-body simulations of a Milky-Way-sized halo and its satellite
Authors: Shirasaki Masato , Okamoto Takashi , Ando Shin’ichiro
Published: September 2022

We study evolution of single subhaloes with their masses of ∼109 M⊙ in a Milky Way-sized host halo for self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) models. We perform dark-matter-only N-body simulations of dynamical evolution of individual subhaloes orbiting its host by varying self-scattering cross-sections (including a velocity-dependent scenario), subhalo orbits, and internal properties of the subhalo. We calibrate a gravothermal fluid model to predict time evolution in spherical mass density profiles of isolated SIDM haloes with the simulations. We find that tidal effects of SIDM subhaloes can be described with a framework developed for the case of collision-less cold dark matter (CDM), but a shorter typical time-scale for the mass loss due to tidal stripping is required to explain our SIDM simulation results. As long as the cross-section is less than $\sim \! 10\, \mathrm{cm}^2\,\mathrm{g}^{ -1}$ and initial states of subhaloes are set within a 2σ-level scatter at redshifts of ∼2 predicted by the standard ΛCDM cosmology, our simulations do not exhibit a prominent feature of gravothermal collapse in the subhalo central density for 10 Gyr. We develop a semi-analytic model of SIDM subhaloes in a time-evolving density core of the host with tidal stripping and self-scattering ram pressure effects. Our semi-analytic approach provides a simple, efficient, and physically intuitive prediction of SIDM subhaloes, but further improvements are needed to account for baryonic effects in the host and the gravothermal instability accelerated by tidal stripping effects.
Is histopathological synovitis score a predictor of postoperative requirement for additional or alternative drug treatment in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis?
Authors: Koyama Kensuke , Wako Masanori , Ohba Tetsuro , Nakagomi Daiki , Koizumi Ryousuke , Haro Hirotaka
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Histopathological synovitis scoring is useful for assessing activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at sampling, but it is unclear whether it can be a predictor of future drug treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine whether histopathological synovitis score is a predictor of postoperative requirement for additional or alternative drug treatment after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

Thirty patients with RA in whom synovial samples were obtained during TKA were included. Patients were divided into the drug treatment enhanced group (EG), which included patients who needed additional or alternative drug treatment within 1 year after TKA, and the drug treatment maintenance group (MG). The Rooney synovitis score (RSS) was compared between groups. Logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify prognostic factors for postoperative drug treatment change.

Results

The total RSS was significantly higher in the EG than in the MG (29.3 vs 15.1; P < .001). Multivariate analysis showed that total RSS and swollen joint counts were independent variable associated with postoperative requirement for additional or alternative drug treatment (P < .05).

Conclusions

Histopathological synovitis scoring may predict requirement for additional or alternative drug treatment in patients with RA after TKA.
Cardiomyopathy following COVID-19 vaccination in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Bhullar Avreena Kaur , Chew Zhi Chee , Ong Ping Seung , Khor Chiew Gek , Mohd Amin Nor Hanim
Published: September 2022

There are an increasing number of reports of myocarditis associated with mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination. We describe the case of a female patient with underlying systemic lupus erythematosus, who developed heart failure symptoms following a second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine. Despite her history of refractory systemic lupus erythematosus, the disease remained stable after she began rituximab treatment. She underwent serial transthoracic echocardiogram and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for the evaluation of cardiomyopathy. She showed improvement in cardiac function after treatment with glucocorticoids and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy.
Feasibility of At-Home Virological and Serological Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Children
Authors: Ahmed Amina , Rossman Whitney , Lu Lauren C , Dunn Connell O , Harris Anna M , Priem Jennifer S , Hetherington Timothy C , Porzucek Abigail J , Mores Christopher N , Castri Paola , Lagarde William H , Dantuluri Keerti L ,   for the COVID-19 Community Research Partnership
Published: September 2022

Longitudinal virological and serological surveillance is essential for understanding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) transmission among children but requires increased test capacity. We assessed the uptake of serial at-home testing in children (2–17 years) via mailed SARS-CoV-2 antibody and molecular tests. Completion rates demonstrated the feasibility and sustainability of at-home testing across age groups.
Connecting intercity mobility with urban welfare
Authors: Mimar Sayat , Soriano-Paños David , Kirkley Alec , Barbosa Hugo , Sadilek Adam , Arenas Alex , Gómez-Gardeñes Jesus , Ghoshal Gourab
Published: September 2022

While significant effort has been devoted to understand the role of intraurban characteristics on sustainability and growth, much remains to be understood about the effect of interurban interactions and the role cities have in determining each other’s urban welfare. Here we consider a global mobility network of population flows between cities as a proxy for the communication between these regions, and analyze how it correlates with socioeconomic indicators. We use several measures of centrality to rank cities according to their importance in the mobility network, finding PageRank to be the most effective measure for reflecting these prosperity indicators. Our analysis reveals that the characterization of the welfare of cities based on mobility information hinges on their corresponding development stage. Namely, while network-based predictions of welfare correlate well with economic indicators in mature cities, for developing urban areas additional information about the prosperity of their mobility neighborhood is needed. We develop a simple generative model for the allocation of population flows out of a city that balances the costs and benefits of interaction with other cities that are successful, finding that it provides a strong fit to the flows observed in the global mobility network and highlights the differences in flow patterns between developed and developing urban regions. Our results hint towards the importance of leveraging interurban connections in service of urban development and welfare.
Financial Intermediation, Capital Accumulation, and Crisis Recovery
Authors: Gersbach Hans , Rochet Jean-Charles , Scheffel Martin
Published: September 2022

We integrate bank and bond financing into a two-sector neoclassical growth model and identify an automatic stabilization effect due to endogenous bank leverage adjustment. We show that although bank leverage amplifies shocks, the increase of leverage due to a decline in bank equity partially offsets the post crisis decline of bank lending and accelerates economic recovery by reducing the persistence of the bank lending channel. In this case, endogenous leverage adjustment is an automatic stabilizer. Regulatory state-independent capital limits and wage rigidities impair the re-allocation of capital between sectors and weaken this automatic stabilization. A quantitative analysis of the US during the Great Recession shows that the magnitude of automatic stabilization can be significant and informs about potentially high costs of strict capital regulation or wage rigidities during banking crises.
Total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and next day subjective sleepiness in a large group of women
Authors: Åkerstedt Torbjörn , Schwarz Johanna , Lindberg Eva , Theorell-Haglöw Jenny
Published: September 2022

The relationship between sleep duration and sleepiness has seen much research, but no data are available on the association between polysomnographically (PSG) determined total sleep time (TST) (or other PSG variables) and subjective sleepiness during the subsequent day in individuals in their habitual life situation. The purpose of the present study was to study the association between TST and sleep efficiency (SE) (and other PSG variables) and next-day sleepiness at 7 times of the day. A large population-based group of women (N = 400) participated. Daytime sleepiness was measured with the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). The association was studied through analysis of variance (ANOVA), as well as regression analyses. For SE there was a significant difference in sleepiness across groups with >90%, 80%–89.99%, and <80% SE (F = 7.2, p < .001, eta2 = 0.04), with lowest sleepiness in the first group. In contrast, TST groups of <6 h, 6–6.99 h, and ≥7 h did not differ significantly. In addition, a pronounced U-shape (eta2 > 0.45) was seen for both analyses, with maximum sleepiness at bedtime (≈ 7.5 KSS units). A multiple regression analysis, including all PSG variables (adjusted for age and BMI), showed that SE was a significant predictor (β = 0.16, p < .05) of mean sleepiness, even after depression, anxiety, and subjective sleep duration were entered, but this was eliminated by subjective sleep quality. It was concluded that high SE is modestly associated with lower next-day sleepiness in women in a real-life context, but that TST is not.
Relationship between time in range and corneal nerve fiber loss in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Zhao Weijing , Lu Jingyi , Zhang Lei , Lu Wei , Zhu Wei , Bao Yuqian , Zhou Jian
Published: September 2022

Background:

Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) is a noninvasive technique to detect early nerve damage of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN). Time in range (TIR) is an emerging metric of glycemic control which was reported to be associated with diabetic complications. We sought to explore the relationship between TIR and corneal nerve parameters in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 206 asymptomatic inpatients with T2DM were recruited. After 7 days of continuous glucose monitoring, the TIR was calculated as the percentage of time in the glucose range of 3.9 to 10.0 mmol/L. CCM was performed to determine corneal nerve fiber density, corneal nerve branch density, and corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL). Abnormal CNFL was defined as ≤15.30 mm/mm2.

Results:

Abnormal CNFL was found in 30.6% (63/206) of asymptomatic subjects. Linear regression analyses revealed that TIR was positively correlated with CCM parameters both in the crude and adjusted models (all P 
< 0.05). Each 10% increase in TIR was associated with a 28.2% (95% CI: 0.595–0.866, P = 0.001) decreased risk of abnormal CNFL after adjusting for covariates. With the increase of TIR quartiles, corneal nerve fiber parameters increased significantly (all P for trend <0.01). The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the optimal cutoff point of TIR was 77.5% for predicting abnormal CNFL in asymptomatic patients.

Conclusions:

There is a significant independent correlation between TIR and corneal nerve fiber loss in asymptomatic T2DM patients. TIR may be a useful surrogate marker for early diagnosis of DSPN.
Estimating global prevalence, incidence, and outcomes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease from 2000 to 2021: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Jiaye , Tian Ye , Fu Xia , Mu Chunyang , Yao Menglin , Ni Yinyun , Liu Yong , Li Zhihui
Published: September 2022

Background:

The increasing burden of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) worldwide imposes an emerging public health issue. We perform the current study to estimate the global prevalence, incidence, disease progression, and clinical outcomes of NAFLD.

Methods:

A systematic search was conducted in five databases that screened articles in English language published from January 2000 to December 2021. NAFLD prevalence, incidence, rate of disease progression, and outcomes were calculated with the DerSimonian-Laird random effects model with arcsine transformation.

Results:

Our search identified 59,156 records, of which 578 studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence of NAFLD was 29.38% (95% confidence interval [CI] 28.09–30.69) regardless of the diagnostic techniques. Looking at the group in which the diagnosis was made by ultrasound exclusively, the pooled prevalence was 30.49% (95% CI 29.55–31.43). NAFLD has become more prevalent during the year 2011–2021 (31.63%, 95% CI 30.23–33.04) compared with year 2000–2010 (27.94%, 95% CI 26.23–29.69). The pooled estimation of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis prevalence was 8.26% (95% CI 1.13–21.01), 46.49% (95% CI 35.93–57.20), and 46.72% (95% CI 37.57–55.98) in general population, NAFLD patients, and severe/morbidly obese patients, respectively. Based on a total of 110,142 newly developed NAFLD patients, the pooled incident rate was estimated as 46.24 cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI 43.21–49.30). In patients with NAFLD, the incident rate of hepatocellular carcinoma was 1.46 (95% CI 0.90–2.03) cases per 1000 person-years. The overall pooled estimate of NAFLD related mortality was 23.91 (95% CI 13.55–37.18) death per 1000 person-years.

Conclusions:

The prevalence of NAFLD is increasing globally. It is contributing to poor clinical outcomes including hepatocellular carcinoma and death. Rising awareness and urgent actions are warranted to control the NAFLD pandemic across the globe.
Association of Measured Quality and Future Financial Performance Among Hospitals Performing Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Enumah Samuel J. , Sundt Thoralf M. , Chang David C.
Published: September 2022

Goal:

For decades, hospitals performing cardiac surgery have carried the cost of implementing quality improvement activities and reporting quality outcomes. However, the financial return of such investments is unclear, which weakens the incentive for hospitals to invest in quality improvement activities. This study explored the relationship between a hospital's measured quality and its financial performance.

Methods:

Using data from the American Hospital Association and Hospital Compare from 2014 to 2018, we performed an observational study of hospitals performing cardiac surgery. We used mixed-effects regression models with fixed-year effects and random intercepts to explore associations between measured quality and hospital financial performance. Our dependent variables were margins (profit divided by revenue) and financial distress; our independent variables included Patient Safety Indicator 90 (PSI-90) and hospital characteristics.

Principal Findings:

Our sample included 4,927 hospital-years from 1,209 unique hospitals. Hospitals in the worst-performing PSI-90 score quartile experienced a lower operating margin (−1.26%, 95% CI [−2.10 to −0.41], p = .004), a lower total margin (−0.92%, 95% CI [−1.66 to −0.17], p = .016), and an increased odds of financial distress in the next year (OR: 2.12, 95% CI [1.36–3.30], p = .001) when compared with the best-performing hospitals.

Practical Applications:

Our exploration into financial distress provides managers with a better understanding of the relationship between a hospital's measured quality and its financial position. In reflecting on our findings, hospital leaders may consider viewing patient safety as a modifiable factor that can improve their organization's overall financial health. Our findings suggest that excellent safety performance may be both financially and clinically beneficial to hospitals.
Mitigating Moral Distress in Leaders of Healthcare Organizations: A Scoping Review
Authors: Hertelendy Attila J. , Gutberg Jennifer , Mitchell Cheryl , Gustavsson Martina , Rapp Devin , Mayo Michael , von Schreeb Johan
Published: September 2022

Goal:

Moral distress literature is firmly rooted in the nursing and clinician experience, with a paucity of literature that considers the extent to which moral distress affects clinical and administrative healthcare leaders. Moreover, the little evidence that has been collected on this phenomenon has not been systematically mapped to identify key areas for both theoretical and practical elaboration. We conducted a scoping review to frame our understanding of this largely unexplored dynamic of moral distress and better situate our existing knowledge of moral distress and leadership.

Methods:

Using moral distress theory as our conceptual framework, we evaluated recent literature on moral distress and leadership to understand how prior studies have conceptualized the effects of moral distress. Our search yielded 1,640 total abstracts. Further screening with the PRISMA process resulted in 72 included articles.

Principal Findings:

Our scoping review found that leaders—not just their employees— personally experience moral distress. In addition, we identified an important role for leaders and organizations in addressing the theoretical conceptualization and practical effects of moral distress.

Practical Applications:

Although moral distress is unlikely to ever be eliminated, the literature in this review points to a singular need for organizational responses that are intended to intervene at the level of the organization itself, not just at the individual level. Best practices require creating stronger organizational cultures that are designed to mitigate moral distress. This can be achieved through transparency and alignment of personal, professional, and organizational values.
Mental Health Among Firefighters
Authors: DeMoulin Doug , Jacobs Samuel , Nam Yoon-Sung , Harding Alyson B. , Moskowitz Adam F. , Shi Yihe , Kim Hyun
Published: September 2022

Background

Firefighters are at high-risk of mental health. This study qualitatively assessed the pathways toward mental health in firefighters.

Methods

A two-phased assessment was conducted incorporating in-depth interviews (n = 52) and 10 focus group discussions (n = 82) with firefighters. Thematic analysis was used to develop codes and themes that informed the development of a conceptual model.

Results

Firefighters recognized personalizing events by relating calls to their personal lives or prior life experiences as the main risk factor. Department debriefing with fire chiefs or leadership after traumatic events was reported as the primary coping strategy firefighters found most effective. Stigma and lack of medical professionals understanding the firefighter culture were identified as barriers for accessing mental health services or their effectiveness.

Discussion

Pathways toward mental health in firefighters were identified that could be used to improve current strategies to protect their well-being.
Perceived Supervisor Support for Health Affects Presenteeism
Authors: Mori Takahiro , Nagata Tomohisa , Nagata Masako , Odagami Kiminori , Mori Koji
Published: September 2022

Objective

We investigated how perceived supervisor support for health (PSSH) affects the occurrence of presenteeism 1 year later.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted using a questionnaire survey. In total, 10,718 nonmanagerial employees in seven companies in Japan were included in the analyses. We conducted multilevel logistic regression analyses nested by company to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) of the relationship between PSSH at baseline and high presenteeism at follow-up.

Results

The ORs for high presenteeism at follow-up were significantly higher for high (OR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 1.51), low (OR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.37 to 1.94), and very low PSSH (OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.88 to 3.12), compared with very high PSSH.

Conclusions

Lower PSSH can induce high presenteeism, suggesting that increasing PSSH is important to reduce the occurrence of presenteeism in companies.
Advanced imaging and theranostics in thyroid cancer
Authors: Roseland Molly E. , Dewaraja Yuni K. , Wong Ka Kit
Published: September 2022

Purpose of review

Thyroid cancers are endocrine neoplasms with diverse gene expression and behavior, for which constantly evolving anatomic and functional imaging/theranostic agents have an essential role for diagnosis, staging, and treatment.

Recent findings

To achieve definitive diagnosis, neck ultrasound and associated risk stratification systems, notably Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS), allow improved thyroid nodule characterization and management guidance. Radioactive iodine-131 (RAI) has long played a role in management of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), with recent literature emphasizing its effectiveness for intermediate-high risk cancers, exploring use of dosimetry for personalized medicine, and potential for retreatment with RAI following tumor redifferentiation. Iodine-124 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has promising application for DTC staging and dosimetry. F18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT is used for staging of high risk DTC and identification of noniodine-avid disease recurrences, with metabolic uptake consistently portending poor prognosis. Poorly differentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancers are best assessed with anatomic imaging and F18-FDG PET/ CT, though recent studies show a potential theranostic role for Ga68/Lu177-prostate-specific membrane antigen. Medullary thyroid cancers are evaluated with ultrasound, CT, magnetic resonance imaging, and various positron-emitting radiotracers for PET imaging (F18-DOPA, F18-FDG, and recently Ga68-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)–octreotate (DOTATATE)); the latter may enable treatment with Lu177-DOTATATE.

Multidisciplinary collaboration is essential to streamline appropriate management, given the wide array of available imaging and new therapies for metabolic and genetically complex cancers.
Pilot Tone‐Triggered MRI for Quantitative Assessment of Cardiac Function, Motion, and Structure
Authors: Lin Kai , Sarnari Roberto , Speier Peter , Hayes Carmel , Davids Rachel , Carr James C. , Markl Michael
Published: September 2022

Objective

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that there are good agreements between cardiac functional and structural indices derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences triggered with pilot tone (PT) and electrocardiogram (ECG).

Materials and Methods

Sixteen healthy volunteers (11 male, age 21–76 years) underwent a cardiac MRI scan. Cine MRI, T1, and T2 mapping were acquired by using PT and ECG triggering. Quantitative measurements, including left and right ventricular end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, stroke volume, ejection fraction, longitudinal strain, left ventricular T1 and T2 values, left and right atrial longitudinal strain, and maximal/minimal volumes, were measured. The interclass correlation coefficient, coefficient of variation, and Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the agreements between measurements derived by MRI sequences triggered with 2 methods.

Results

There were no significant differences among end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, stroke volume, ejection fraction, left ventricle mass, T1 and T2 values, or longitudinal strains acquired using PT and ECG. There were good agreements and low variations between the levels of these indices acquired with PT and ECG. Interclass correlation coefficients mainly ranged from 0.73 to 0.98. The coefficients of variation ranged from 1.4% to 22.6%.

Conclusions

Pilot tone‐triggered MRI provides comparable measurements of cardiac function, motion, and structure as ECG-triggered MRI. Pilot tone has the potential to become a backup of ECG gating in cardiovascular imaging.
The immune deficiency and c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathways drive the functional integration of the immune and circulatory systems of mosquitoes
Authors: Yan Yan , Sigle Leah T. , Rinker David C. , Estévez-Lao Tania Y. , Capra John A. , Hillyer Julián F.
Published: September 2022

The immune and circulatory systems of animals are functionally integrated. In mammals, the spleen and lymph nodes filter and destroy microbes circulating in the blood and lymph, respectively. In insects, immune cells that surround the heart valves (ostia), called periostial haemocytes, destroy pathogens in the areas of the body that experience the swiftest haemolymph (blood) flow. An infection recruits additional periostial haemocytes, amplifying heart-associated immune responses. Although the structural mechanics of periostial haemocyte aggregation have been defined, the genetic factors that regulate this process remain less understood. Here, we conducted RNA sequencing in the African malaria mosquito,
Anopheles gambiae
, and discovered that an infection upregulates multiple components of the immune deficiency (IMD) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways in the heart with periostial haemocytes. This upregulation is greater in the heart with periostial haemocytes than in the circulating haemocytes or the entire abdomen. RNA interference-based knockdown then showed that the IMD and JNK pathways drive periostial haemocyte aggregation and alter phagocytosis and melanization on the heart, thereby demonstrating that these pathways regulate the functional integration between the immune and circulatory systems. Understanding how insects fight infection lays the foundation for novel strategies that could protect beneficial insects and harm detrimental ones.
A baseline for the genetic stock identification of Atlantic herring,
Clupea harengus
, in ICES Divisions 6.a, 7.b–c
Authors: Farrell Edward D. , Andersson Leif , Bekkevold Dorte , Campbell Neil , Carlsson Jens , Clarke Maurice W. , Egan Afra , Folkvord Arild , Gras Michaël , Lusseau Susan Mærsk , Mackinson Steven , Nolan Cormac , O'Connell Steven , O'Malley Michael , Pastoors Martin , Pettersson Mats E. , White Emma
Published: September 2022

Atlantic herring in International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Divisions 6.a, 7.b–c comprises at least three populations, distinguished by temporal and spatial differences in spawning, which have until recently been managed as two stocks defined by geographical delineators. Outside of spawning the populations form mixed aggregations, which are the subject of acoustic surveys. The inability to distinguish the populations has prevented the development of separate survey indices and separate stock assessments. A panel of 45 single-nucleotide polymorphisms, derived from whole-genome sequencing, were used to genotype 3480 baseline spawning samples (2014–2021). A temporally stable baseline comprising 2316 herring from populations known to inhabit Division 6.a was used to develop a genetic assignment method, with a self-assignment accuracy greater than 90%. The long-term temporal stability of the assignment model was validated by assigning archive (2003–2004) baseline samples (270 individuals) with a high level of accuracy. Assignment of non-baseline samples (1514 individuals) from Divisions 6.a, 7.b–c indicated previously unrecognized levels of mixing of populations outside of the spawning season. The genetic markers and assignment models presented constitute a ‘toolbox’ that can be used for the assignment of herring caught in mixed survey and commercial catches in Division 6.a into their population of origin with a high level of accuracy.
Winter conditions, not resource availability alone, may drive reversible seasonal skull size changes in moles
Authors: Nováková Lucie , Lázaro Javier , Muturi Marion , Dullin Christian , Dechmann Dina K. N.
Published: September 2022

Seasonal changes in the environment can lead to astonishing adaptations. A few small mammals with exceptionally high metabolisms have evolved a particularly extreme strategy: they shrink before winter and regrow in spring, including changes of greater than 20% in skull and brain size. Whether this process is an adaptation to seasonal climates, resource availability or both remains unclear. We show that European moles (
Talpa europaea
) also decrease skull size in winter. As resources for closely related Iberian moles (
Talpa occidentalis
) are lowest in summer, we predicted they should shift the timing of size changes. Instead, they do not change size at all. We conclude that in moles, seasonal decrease and regrowth of skull size is an adaptation to winter climate and not to a changing resource landscape alone. We not only describe this phenomenon in yet another taxon, but take an important step towards a better understanding of this enigmatic cycle.
Rapid brain development and reduced neuromodulator titres correlate with host shifts in
Rhagoletis pomonella
Authors: Kharva Hinal , Feder Jeffrey L. , Hahn Daniel A. , Olsson Shannon B.
Published: September 2022

Host shifts are considered a key generator of insect biodiversity. For insects, adaptation to new host plants often requires changes in larval/pupal development and adult behavioural preference toward new hosts. Neurochemicals play key roles in both development and behaviour and therefore provide a potential source for such synchronization. Here, we correlated life-history timing, brain development and corresponding levels of 14 neurochemicals in
Rhagoletis pomonella
(Diptera: Tephritidae), a species undergoing ecological speciation through an ongoing host shift from hawthorn to apple fruit. These races exhibit differences in pupal diapause timing as well as adult behavioural preference with respect to their hosts. This difference in behavioural preference is coupled with differences in neurophysiological response to host volatiles. We found that apple race pupae exhibited adult brain morphogenesis three weeks faster after an identical simulated winter than the hawthorn race, which correlated with significantly lower titres of several neurochemicals. In some cases, particularly biogenic amines, differences in titres were reflected in the mature adult stage, when host preference is exhibited. In summary, life-history timing, neurochemical titre and brain development can be coupled in this speciating system, providing new hypotheses for the origins of new species through host shifts.
The 2-parity conjecture for elliptic curves with isomorphic 2-torsion
Authors: Green Holly , Maistret Céline
Published: September 2022

The Birch and Swinnerton–Dyer conjecture famously predicts that the rank of an elliptic curve can be computed from its

L

-function. In this article, we consider a weaker version of this conjecture called the parity conjecture and prove the following. Let

E
1

and

E
2

be two elliptic curves defined over a number field

K

whose 2-torsion groups are isomorphic as Galois modules. Assuming finiteness of the Shafarevich–Tate groups of

E
1

and

E
2

, we show that the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture correctly predicts the parity of the rank of

E
1

×

E
2

. Using this result, we complete the proof of the

p

-parity conjecture for elliptic curves over totally real fields.
System norm regularization methods for Koopman operator approximation
Authors: Dahdah Steven , Forbes James R.
Published: September 2022

Approximating the Koopman operator from data is numerically challenging when many lifting functions are considered. Even low-dimensional systems can yield unstable or ill-conditioned results in a high-dimensional lifted space. In this paper, Extended Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) and DMD with control, two methods for approximating the Koopman operator, are reformulated as convex optimization problems with linear matrix inequality constraints. Asymptotic stability constraints and system norm regularizers are then incorporated as methods to improve the numerical conditioning of the Koopman operator. Specifically, the

H

∞

 

norm is used to penalize the input–output gain of the Koopman system. Weighting functions are then applied to penalize the system gain at specific frequencies. These constraints and regularizers introduce bilinear matrix inequality constraints to the regression problem, which are handled by solving a sequence of convex optimization problems. Experimental results using data from an aircraft fatigue structural test rig and a soft robot arm highlight the advantages of the proposed regression methods.
Costly incentives design from an institutional perspective: cooperation, sustainability and affluence
Authors: Zhou Xin , Belloum Adam , Lees Michael H. , van Engers Tom , de Laat Cees
Published: September 2022

Incentives are usually introduced by the regulator entity (third-party), to promote cooperation in a market. The implementation of incentives is always costly and thus might fail to be enforced sustainably. This work aims at exploring the effects of incentives from an institutional perspective, while coping with the scenario where the third-party is part of the system but not composed by players. The evolutionary game theory (EGT) framework is applied to identify the incentives that lead to pure cooperation. In contrast to traditional EGT, this paper introduces an elimination mechanism that can reduce the market size. The incentives identified in the EGT analysis are further examined in simulation experiments which measure the market size, affluence and sustainability. The findings show: (1) light punishment leads to a reduction of the market size, yet heavier punishment is beneficial to the market size and wealth; (2) mixed incentives will generally lead to different wealth of the third party and of the participants. While under moderate strength, the wealth of both parties is the same and their overall wealth is maximal; (3) for sustainability, pure punishment (resp. reward) is sustainable (resp. unsustainable), the sustainability of mixed incentives depends on both their strength and agents’ rationality level.
Experimental and cross-cultural evidence that parenthood and parental care motives increase social conservatism
Authors: Kerry Nicholas , Al-Shawaf Laith , Barbato Maria , Batres Carlota , Blake Khandis R. , Cha Youngjae , Chauvin Gregory V. , Clifton Jeremy D. W. , Fernandez Ana Maria , Galbarczyk Andrzej , Ghossainy Maliki E. , Jang Dayk , Jasienska Grazyna , Karasawa Minoru , Laustsen Lasse , Loria Riley , Luberti Francesca , Moran James , Pavlović Zoran , Petersen Michael Bang , Smith Adam R. , Žeželj Iris , Murray Damian R.
Published: September 2022

Differences in attitudes on social issues such as abortion, immigration and sex are hugely divisive, and understanding their origins is among the most important tasks facing human behavioural sciences. Despite the clear psychological importance of parenthood and the motivation to provide care for children, researchers have only recently begun investigating their influence on social and political attitudes. Because socially conservative values ostensibly prioritize safety, stability and family values, we hypothesized that being more invested in parental care might make socially conservative policies more appealing. Studies 1 (preregistered;
n
= 376) and 2 (
n
= 1924) find novel evidence of conditional experimental effects of a parenthood prime, such that people who engaged strongly with a childcare manipulation showed an increase in social conservatism. Studies 3 (
n
= 2610, novel data from 10 countries) and 4 (
n
= 426 444, World Values Survey data) find evidence that both parenthood and parental care motivation are associated with increased social conservatism around the globe. Further, most of the positive association globally between age and social conservatism is accounted for by parenthood. These findings support the hypothesis that parenthood and parental care motivation increase social conservatism.
Pest defences under weak selection exert a limited influence on the evolution of height growth and drought avoidance in marginal pine populations
Authors: Liu Yang , Erbilgin Nadir , Ratcliffe Blaise , Klutsch Jennifer G. , Wei Xiaojing , Ullah Aziz , Cappa Eduardo Pablo , Chen Charles , Thomas Barb R. , El-Kassaby Yousry A.
Published: September 2022

While droughts, intensified by climate change, have been affecting forests worldwide, pest epidemics are a major source of uncertainty for assessing drought impacts on forest trees. Thus far, little information has documented the adaptability and evolvability of traits related to drought and pests simultaneously. We conducted common-garden experiments to investigate how several phenotypic traits (i.e. height growth, drought avoidance based on water-use efficiency inferred from
δ
13
C and pest resistance based on defence traits) interact in five mature lodgepole pine populations established in four progeny trials in western Canada. The relevance of interpopulation variation in climate sensitivity highlighted that seed-source warm populations had greater adaptive capability than cold populations. In test sites, warming generated taller trees with higher
δ
13
C and increased the evolutionary potential of height growth and
δ
13
C across populations. We found, however, no pronounced gradient in defences and their evolutionary potential along populations or test sites. Response to selection was weak in defences across test sites, but high for height growth particularly at warm test sites. Response to the selection of
δ
13
C varied depending on its selective strength relative to height growth. We conclude that warming could promote the adaptability and evolvability of growth response and drought avoidance with a limited evolutionary influence from pest (biotic) pressures.