bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of KRAS and BRAF mutations on treatment efficacy and survival in high‐grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
Authors: Elvebakken Hege , Hjortland Geir Olav , Garresori Herish , Andresen Per Arne , Janssen Emiel A. M. , Vintermyr Olav Karsten , Lothe Inger M. B. , Sorbye Halfdan
Published: March 2023

High‐grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (HG GEP‐NEN) typically disseminate early. Treatment of metastatic disease has limited benefit and prognosis is generally discouraging. Data on the clinical impact of mutations in HG GEP‐NEN are scarce. There is an unmet need for reliable biomarkers to predict treatment outcome and prognosis in metastatic HG GEP‐NEN. Patients with metastatic HG GEP‐NEN diagnosed at three centres were selected for KRAS‐, BRAF mutation and microsatellite instability (MSI) analyses. Results were linked to treatment outcome and overall survival. After pathological re‐evaluation, 83 patients met inclusion criteria: 77 (93%) GEP neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) and six (7%) GEP neuroendocrine tumours (NET) G3. NEC harboured higher frequency of mutations than NET G3. Colon NEC harboured a particular high frequency of BRAF mutations (63%). Immediate disease progression on first‐line chemotherapy was significantly higher for NEC with BRAF mutation (73%) versus wild‐type (27%) (p = .016) and for colonic primary (65%) versus other NEC (28%) (p = .011). Colon NEC had a significant shorter PFS compared to other primary sites, a finding independent of BRAF status. Immediate disease progression was particularly frequent for BRAF mutated colon NEC (OR 10.2, p = .007). Surprisingly, BRAF mutation did not influence overall survival. KRAS mutation was associated with inferior overall survival for the whole NEC population (HR 2.02, p = .015), but not for those given first‐line chemotherapy. All long‐term survivors (>24 m) were double wild‐type. Three NEC cases (4.8%) were MSI. Colon NEC with BRAF mutation predicted immediate disease progression on first‐line chemotherapy, but did not affect PFS or OS. Benefit of first‐line platinum/etoposide treatment seems limited for colon NEC, especially for BRAF mutated cases. KRAS mutations did not influence treatment efficacy nor survival for patients receiving first‐line chemotherapy. Both frequency and clinical impact of KRAS/BRAF mutations in digestive NEC differ from prior results on digestive adenocarcinoma.
Nurse‐led clinical activity in kidney transplantation care in Spain: A cross‐sectional observational study
Authors: Pedreira‐Robles Guillermo , Garcimartín Paloma , Sevilla‐Guerra Sonia , Bach‐Pascual Anna , García‐Martínez Marta , Morín‐Fraile Victoria
Published: March 2023

Objectives

To explore the presence of specialist outpatient nursing activity in care for kidney transplant recipients in Spain and to determine the level of competence development of this activity according to the Advanced Practice Nurse model.

Design

Descriptive, cross‐sectional study.

Participants and Measurements

All outpatient nurses specialising in renal transplantation in the 39 transplant hospitals in Spain were included. To fulfil the study objectives, an ad hoc questionnaire and the ‘Advanced Practice Nurse Role Definition Instrument (IDREPA)’ were administered to assess the nurses' level of competence development.

Results

Of the facilities included in the study, 25 (64.1%) had posttransplant nursing activity, 13 (33.3%) had pretransplant nursing activity and 11 (28.2%) had nursing activity involving kidney donor candidates. Twenty‐seven specialist nurse's offices were identified. The results of the IDREPA reflect the presence of advanced practice in the domains of ‘expert care planning’ and ‘comprehensive care’. Three (11.1%) nurses met all criteria for advanced nursing practice.

Conclusion

The results on specialised outpatient nursing activity at the 39 transplantation facilities in Spain indicate a low presence of this type of activity, with an even lower presence of advanced practice nurses.

Implications for Clinical Practice

Management teams should consider investing in the quality of care provided by advanced nurse practice to ensure that suitable treatment is provided and better clinical outcomes are obtained.
The spatial scope of agglomeration economies in Brazil
Authors: de Almeida Edilberto Tiago , Neto Raul da Mota Silveira , Rocha Roberta de Moraes
Published: March 2023

This paper provides evidence about location and colocation patterns of manufacturing entrepreneurship and spatial scope of agglomeration economies in the context of a developing country. Using microgeographic data for all Brazilian manufacturing activities and distance‐based measures, we find clear patterns of colocalization between entrants and existing establishments, and that these patterns occur mainly at short distances. For activities presenting colocalization between entrants and existing establishments, our results also indicate that a greater number of incumbent establishments in a given location positively affects the number of entrant establishments that decide to locate there, an effect that attenuates rapidly with distance (generally disappearing after 5 km). This pattern of attenuation is robust to both the inclusion of a comprehensive set of controls for observable and unobservable local characteristics and the use of instrumental variables to address remaining endogeneity concerns.
Individual variation in the avian gut microbiota: The influence of host state and environmental heterogeneity
Authors: Somers Shane E. , Davidson Gabrielle L. , Johnson Crystal N. , Reichert Michael S. , Crane Jodie M. S. , Ross R. Paul , Stanton Catherine , Quinn John L.
Published: March 2023

The gut microbiota have important consequences for host biological processes and there is some evidence that they also affect fitness. However, the complex, interactive nature of ecological factors that influence the gut microbiota has scarcely been investigated in natural populations. We sampled the gut microbiota of wild great tits (Parus major) at different life stages allowing us to evaluate how microbiota varied with respect to a diverse range of key ecological factors of two broad types: (1) host state, namely age and sex, and the life history variables, timing of breeding, fecundity and reproductive success; and (2) the environment, including habitat type, the distance of the nest to the woodland edge, and the general nest and woodland site environments. The gut microbiota varied with life history and the environment in many ways that were largely dependent on age. Nestlings were far more sensitive to environmental variation than adults, pointing to a high degree of flexibility at an important time in development. As nestlings developed their microbiota from one to two weeks of life, they retained consistent (i.e., repeatable) among‐individual differences. However these apparent individual differences were driven entirely by the effect of sharing the same nest. Our findings point to important early windows during development in which the gut microbiota are most sensitive to a variety of environmental drivers at multiple scales, and suggest reproductive timing, and hence potentially parental quality or food availability, are linked with the microbiota. Identifying and explicating the various ecological sources that shape an individual's gut bacteria is of vital importance for understanding the gut microbiota's role in animal fitness.
Molecular identification and mapping of mixed root samples to species and individuals
Authors: Jones Andy
Published: March 2023

This article is a Commentary on Osborne et al. (2023), 238: 1305–1317.
The value of 18F‐FDG PET/CT quantitative indexes in the diagnosis of nondestructive posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders after pediatric liver transplantation
Authors: Si Zhuyuan , Lu Dongyan , Zhai Lili , Zheng Weiping , Dong Chong , Sun Chao , Wang Kai , Zhang Wei , Wei Xinzhe , Zhang Zhixin , Zhao Shengqiao , Gao Wei , Shen Zhongyang
Published: March 2023

Background

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a serious complication after pediatric liver transplantation (pLT), which may lead to death. 18F‐FDG PET/CT is rarely considered in PTLD after pLT and lacks clear diagnostic guidelines, especially in the differential diagnosis of nondestructive PTLD. The aim of this study was to find a quantifiable 18F‐FDG PET/CT index to identify nondestructive PTLD after pLT.

Methods

This retrospective study collected the data of patients who underwent pLT, postoperative lymph node biopsy, and 18F‐FDG PET/CT at Tianjin First Central Hospital from January 2014 to December 2021. Quantitative indexes were established using lymph node morphology and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax).

Results

A total of 83 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in this retrospective study. To distinguish between PTLD‐negative cases and nondestructive PTLD cases, according to the receiver operating characteristic curve, (the shortest diameter of the lymph node at the biopsy site [SDL]/the longest diameter of the lymph node at the biopsy site [LDL])*(SUVmax at the biopsy site [SUVmaxBio]/SUVmax of the tonsils [SUVmaxTon]) had the maximum area under the curve (0.923; 95% confidence interval: 0.834–1.000), and the cutoff value was 0.264 according to the maximum value of Youden's index. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 93.6%, 94.7%, 97.8%, 85.7%, and 93.9%, respectively.

Conclusions

(SDL/LDL)*(SUVmaxBio/SUVmaxTon) has good sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values, and accuracy, and can be used as a good quantitative index for the diagnosis of nondestructive PTLD.
Oscillatory and non‐oscillatory brain activity reflects fear expression in an immediate and delayed fear extinction task
Authors: Bierwirth Philipp , Antov Martin I. , Stockhorst Ursula
Published: March 2023

Fear extinction is pivotal for inhibiting fear responding to former threat‐predictive stimuli. In rodents, short intervals between fear acquisition and extinction impair extinction recall compared to long intervals. This is called Immediate Extinction Deficit (IED). Importantly, human studies of the IED are sparse and its neurophysiological correlates have not been examined in humans. We, therefore, investigated the IED by recording electroencephalography (EEG), skin conductance responses (SCRs), an electrocardiogram (ECG), and subjective ratings of valence and arousal. Forty male participants were randomly assigned to extinction learning either 10 min after fear acquisition (immediate extinction) or 24 h afterward (delayed extinction). Fear and extinction recall were assessed 24 h after extinction learning. We observed evidence for an IED in SCR responses, but not in the ECG, subjective ratings, or in any assessed neurophysiological marker of fear expression. Irrespective of extinction timing (immediate vs. delayed), fear conditioning caused a tilt of the non‐oscillatory background spectrum with decreased low‐frequency power (<30 Hz) for threat‐predictive stimuli. When controlling for this tilt, we observed a suppression of theta and alpha oscillations to threat‐predictive stimuli, especially pronounced during fear acquisition. In sum, our data show that delayed extinction might be partially advantageous over immediate extinction in reducing sympathetic arousal (as assessed via SCR) to former threat‐predictive stimuli. However, this effect was limited to SCR responses since all other fear measures were not affected by extinction timing. Additionally, we demonstrate that oscillatory and non‐oscillatory activity is sensitive to fear conditioning, which has important implications for fear conditioning studies examining neural oscillations.
Higher amplitudes in steady‐state visual evoked potentials driven by square‐wave versus sine‐wave contrast modulation – A dual‐laboratory study
Authors: Panitz Christian , Gundlach Christopher , Boylan Maeve R. , Keil Andreas , Müller Matthias M.
Published: March 2023

Steady‐state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) are an established tool for assessing visuocortical responses in visual perception and attention. They have the same temporal frequency characteristics as a periodically modulated stimulus (e.g., in contrast or luminance) that drives them. It has been hypothesized that the amplitude of a given ssVEP may depend on the shape of the stimulus modulation function, but the size and robustness of these effects is not well established. The current study systematically compared the effect of the two most common functions in the ssVEP literature, square‐wave and sine‐wave functions. Across two laboratories, we presented mid‐complex color patterns to 30 participants with square‐wave or sine‐wave contrast modulation and at different driving frequencies (6 Hz, 8.57 Hz, 15 Hz). When ssVEPs were analyzed independently for the samples, with each laboratory's standard processing pipeline, ssVEP amplitudes in both samples decreased at higher driving frequencies and square‐wave modulation evoked higher amplitudes at lower frequencies (i.e., 6 Hz, 8.57 Hz) compared to sine‐wave modulation. These effects were replicated when samples were aggregated and analyzed with the same processing pipeline. In addition, when using signal‐to‐noise ratios as outcome measures, this joint analysis indicated a somewhat weaker effect of increased ssVEP amplitudes to square‐wave modulation at 15 Hz. The present study suggests that square‐wave modulation should be used in ssVEP research when the goal is to maximize signal amplitude or signal‐to‐noise ratio. Given effects of modulation function across laboratories, and data processing pipelines, the findings appear robust to differences in data collection and analysis.
The innovation antecedents behind the servitization–performance relationship
Authors: Martín‐Peña María‐Luz , Sánchez‐López José‐María , Kamp Bart , Giménez‐Fernández Elena María
Published: March 2023

Servitization allows manufacturing firms to differentiate themselves from rivals and become more competitive. Scholars have studied the service paradox, but analysis of the relationship between servitization and firm performance has provided inconclusive results. In terms of the antecedents that influence this relationship, the literature has tended to focus on firm and product characteristics but not on companies' innovative behavior. This article probes the relationship between servitization and firm performance by focusing on two forms of innovation (technological and open) that may exert an influence. The study draws on the resource‐based view literature to explain the role of interactions between technological innovation, service innovation, and open innovation in enhancing firm performance. Longitudinal empirical analysis was conducted with a sample of Spanish industrial firms for the period 2010–2016. Two time‐lagged models were built and analyzed. The results show that technological innovation influences servitization. This relationship is moderated by open innovation. Servitization mediates the relationship between technological innovation and firm performance. The findings contribute to the literature on servitization and innovation management. Innovation is posited as an antecedent to the service paradox. Products, services, and open innovation should be considered when firms design innovation strategies to improve their performance. Such innovation strategies should lead to an increase in servitization. Service innovation should be supported by open innovation to strengthen technological innovation potential.
Quantitative risk analysis of treatment plans for patients with tumor by mining historical similar patients from electronic health records using federated learning
Authors: Liu Yang , Bi Donghai
Published: March 2023

The determination of a treatment plan for a target patient with tumor is a difficult problem due to the existence of heterogeneity in patients’ responses, incomplete information about tumor states, and asymmetric knowledge between doctors and patients, and so on. In this paper, a method for quantitative risk analysis of treatment plans for patients with tumor is proposed. To reduce the impacts of the heterogeneity in patients’ responses on analysis results, the method conducts risk analysis by mining historical similar patients from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in multiple hospitals using federated learning (FL). For this, the Recursive Feature Elimination based on the Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Deep Learning Important FeaTures (DeepLIFT) are extended into the FL framework to select key features and determine key feature weights for identifying historical similar patients. Then, in the database of each collaborative hospital, the similarities between the target patient and all historical patients are calculated, and the historical similar patients are determined. According to the statistics of tumor states and treatment outcomes of historical similar patients in all collaborative hospitals, the related data (including the probabilities of different tumor states and possible outcomes of different treatment plans) for risk analysis of the alternative treatment plans can be obtained, which can eliminate the asymmetric knowledge between doctors and patients. The related data are valuable for the doctor and patient to make their decisions. Experimental studies have been conducted to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
The formation and function of plant metabolons
Authors: Dahmani Ismail , Qin Kezhen , Zhang Youjun , Fernie Alisdair R.
Published: March 2023

Metabolons are temporary structural‐functional complexes of sequential enzymes of a metabolic pathway that are distinct from stable multi‐enzyme complexes. Here we provide a brief history of the study of enzyme–enzyme assemblies with a particular focus on those that mediate substrate channeling in plants. Large numbers of protein complexes have been proposed for both primary and secondary metabolic pathways in plants. However, to date only four substrate channels have been demonstrated. We provide an overview of current knowledge concerning these four metabolons and explain the methodologies that are currently being applied to unravel their functions. Although the assembly of metabolons has been documented to arise through diverse mechanisms, the physical interaction within the characterized plant metabolons all appear to be driven by interaction with structural elements of the cell. We therefore pose the question as to what methodologies could be brought to bear to enhance our knowledge of plant metabolons that assemble via different mechanisms? In addressing this question, we review recent findings in non‐plant systems concerning liquid droplet phase separation and enzyme chemotaxis and propose strategies via which such metabolons could be identified in plants. We additionally discuss the possibilities that could be opened up by novel approaches based on: (i) subcellular‐level mass spectral imaging, (ii) proteomics, and (iii) emergent methods in structural and computational biology.
Properties of the Cremona group endowed with the Euclidean topology
Authors: Bergner Hannah , Zimmermann Susanna
Published: March 2023

Consider a Cremona group endowed with the Euclidean topology introduced by Blanc and Furter. It makes it a Hausdorff topological group that is not locally compact nor metrisable. We show that any sequence of elements of the Cremona group of bounded order that converges to the identity is constant. We use this result to show that Cremona groups do not contain any non‐stationary sequence of subgroups converging to the identity. We also show that, in general, paths in a Cremona group do not lift and do not satisfy a property similar to the definition of morphisms to a Cremona group.
Performance Assessment of Hybrid Fibre-Reinforced Concrete (FRC) under Low-Speed Impact: Experimental Analysis and Optimized Mixture
Authors: Sadeghian Abbas , Moradi Shaghaghi Taleb , Mohammadi Yaghoub , Taghipoor Hossein
Published: March 2023

Fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) has gained tremendous attention in many disciplines due to its high initial strength, favorable mechanical properties, structural lightness, and energy-absorbing properties. In this research, Barchip fibres, Forta, and Basalt are utilized to reinforce concrete under penetration effect loading to examine the energy absorption and impact strength characteristics. To determine the parameters of the percentage of fibres on the impact resistance properties, the Box–Behnken method as a subset of the response surface method (RSM) was used. A diagram of RSM is adopted to determine the optimal percentage of fibres for higher initial strength and energy absorption. Results obtained using Design-Expert software revealed an initial strength of 886.127 N and an optimal energy absorption of 4.9865 J. In addition, the calculated R2 values and normal probability graphs showed a fairy accurate correlation between the results of the experimental and mathematical approaches. Finally, this study evaluated the fracture surface, adhesion of the fibres to the concrete, and degradation modes of the fibres to pave the way for optimal utilization of these hybrid FRCs.
New data on the fauna of pyraloid moths (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea) of Dagestan (Russia)
Authors: TSVETKOV EUGENE
Published: March 2023

58 species of pyraloid moths are reported for the East Caucasian region of Russia and the Republic of Dagestan for the first time. Among them, 13 species are new for the fauna of Russia. Additionally, we report first-time records of several pyraloid species from Kazakhstan and also from different regions of Russia: Astrakhan, Volgograd, Voronezh and Orenburg Provinces. Imagoes of four notable species are illustrated.
A new possibility of sex determination in alleculine specimens (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Alleculinae) of the Palaearctic and the Oriental genera
Authors: NOVÁK VLADIMÍR
Published: March 2023

Differences between numbers of teeth in protarsal claws of males and those of females were determined for 85 genera of Alleculinae Laporte, 1840 from the Oriental and the Palaearctic regions which are inhabited by a total of 114 genera. Males of more than 72 % of the genera studied possess more numerous teeth on protarsal claws compared to females. This character makes it possible to differentiate males from females without dissecting the genitalia.
A new species of naked-toed gecko Cyrtopodion sensu lato (Squamata: Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Gujarat, India
Authors: PATEL HARSHIL , THACKERAY TEJAS , MIRZA ZEESHAN A. , VYAS RAJU
Published: March 2023

We describe a new species of naked-toed gecko of the genus Cyrtopodion Fitzinger, 1843, from the Dahod and Panchmahal districts of Gujarat state, India. The new species is diagnosable by the following suite of characters: a medium-sized Cyrtopodion (adult, snout to vent length up to 50 mm); dorsal scalation on trunk granular, intermixed with enlarged, regularly arranged transverse rows of 15 trihedral tubercles; 6 transverse rows of tubercles on the second segment of the tail; midbody scale rows across belly 20–22; midventral scales 89–97; males with a continuous series of 29–33 precloacal-femoral pores. The new species, Cyrtopodion vindhya sp. nov. is the fifth endemic species of reptile described in the last 15 years from the state of Gujarat that highlights the rich and unique diversity of this understudied region.
A new genus and species of giant mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Monophlebidae) from eastern China
Authors: LI JIANI , XU HAN , WU SAN-AN
Published: March 2023

A new genus of giant mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha; Monophlebidae), Coronaproctus Li, Xu & Wu gen. nov., is established for the species Coronaproctus castanopsis Li, Xu & Wu sp. nov., collected from Zhejiang province, China on the twigs of Castanopsis eyrei (Fagaceae). The adult female and male are described and illustrated. The new genus is characterized by the adult female possessing quadrilocular disc pores, 13 cicatrices on the venter, and a U-shaped opening of the marsupium, but lacking large bilocular pores.
Book review: Anu Aneja (Ed)., Women’s and Gender Studies in India: Crossings
Authors: Nagpal Payal
Published: March 2023

Anu Aneja (Ed)., Women’s and Gender Studies in India: Crossings, London and New York: Routledge, 2019, 402 pp., ₹1,495, ISBN 978-1-138-09006-4 ( Hardback).
Book review: Nazima Parveen, Contested Homelands: Politics of Space and Identity
Authors: Azhar Uzma
Published: March 2023

Nazima Parveen, Contested Homelands: Politics of Space and Identity, Bloomsbury India, 2021, 312 pp., ₹1299, ISBN 9789389000894 (Hardcover).
Land and Asset Inequality Among Social Groups
Authors: Kumar K. Kiran , Moharaj Prasanta
Published: March 2023

This article attempts to examine the changing distributional structure of land among various social groups at the micro-level and its implications on inequality among various social group households. Our research focusses on a case study—Gudivada village located in Nalgonda district in Telangana to understand the changes that have taken place in the landholding pattern and ensuing inequality among social groups in the studied time. The social groups have been categorised as Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Other Castes (OCs), respectively. The study found that there is a prevalence of inequality in the distribution of land among social groups which later has decreased. The landholding patten in the village has changed from being dominated by OCs to now OBCs, increasing their landholding. However, no significant growth was seen in the area owned by SCs and STs over the same period. Similarly, the decomposition of asset inequality in the studied village revealed a clear distinction between within and between social groups, that is inequality based on the assets possession is higher of within social groups (assessing inequality among the population within a particular social groups such as SCs, STs, OBCs or OCs) compared to between social groups (assessing inequality among the population between social groups such as between SCs and STs or between OBCs and OCs and so on).
The Making of Odia Identity: A Sociological Analysis of School Textbooks in Odisha
Authors: Naik Aniruddha , Gundemeda Nagaraju
Published: March 2023

The celebration of the nation and the state is a defining feature of school textbooks across the country. The present article aims to understand the textual means and pedagogic methods used in evolving a pan-Odia identity in the school textbooks of Odisha. The study has used Odia language and social science textbooks prescribed by the state as sources of sociological analysis. It aims to analyse patterns of regional representation, cultural and religious articulation and linguistic standardisation in constructing the ideal Odia identity. The study found that historical events, such as the Kalinga war, the Khandagiri site and the Paik rebellion have been used as memory posters. Though Odisha represents the highest form of linguistic diversity, there is an attempt to idealise Sanskritised Odia as authentic Odia which tends to delegitimise the region’s multiple dialects and tongues. The article has also noted that only the cultural and linguistic practices of the coastal region have been used as a means of defining the cultural identity of Odisha. Thus, we argue that textbooks work as an ideological state apparatus, organised on principles of recognition and de-recognition of text and traditions of languages, regions, religions and cultural pathways of caste and the adivasi community of Odisha.
Mahuya Bandyopadhyay and Rimple Mehta (Eds.), Women, Incarcerated: Narratives from India
Authors: Kannabiran Kalpana
Published: March 2023

Mahuya Bandyopadhyay and Rimple Mehta (Eds.), Women, Incarcerated: Narratives from India, Orient BlackSwan, 2022, 356 pp., ₹1210, ISBN 9789354421884 ( Paperback).
Research During COVID-19: Precision Versus Indication
Authors: Mishra Sujit Kumar , Anudeep Gujjeti
Published: March 2023

Most sectors of the economy came to a standstill due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown in India and elsewhere. Conducting research in normal circumstances is very different from researching in a pandemic situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic the world has faced recently. The present essay attempts to spell out the methodological challenges—precision versus indication—encountered in research undertaken by the authors in three very unique circumstances.
Nutritional Status in States of India
Authors: Deb Surajit
Published: March 2023

The present contribution makes the 16th part of Social Change Indicators series. We have deliberated on several social and economic issues in the previous editions, and the topics included vulnerable households of different social classes, poverty, migration, living conditions, social protection, displacement of labour, health and morbidity conditions of older adults, women’s time-use patterns and intimate partner violence. In this part, we examine the nutritional status of adult males and females (aged 15–49 years) as well as children below 5 years, across states of India. We first provide the state-wise prevalence of malnourished children in rural and urban areas according to the anthropometric indices of underweight (weight for age). Subsequently, the ranking of states based on percentage of children who are underweight, stunted, wasted, and anaemic is presented. The information on the prevalence of adult male and female with below-normal body mass index or anaemia is included next. As a final point, information on the degrees of overweight men, women, and children is presented.
Reservation for Economically Weaker Sections: The EWS Quota
Authors: Singh M. P.
Published: March 2023

This short essay is an analysis of the Supreme Court decision that upheld the validity of the 103rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution, which had introduced clause (6) in Articles 15 and 16. While the amendment’s validity was upheld by a 3–2 verdict, the author supports the minority decision of the two dissenting judges.
Book review: Prashant K. Trivedi (Ed.), Land and Labour in Indian Agriculture: Discourses on Growth and Equity
Authors: Saha Partha
Published: March 2023

Prashant K. Trivedi (Ed.), Land and Labour in Indian Agriculture: Discourses on Growth and Equity, New Delhi, SAGE, 2021, 347 pp., ₹1,350, ISBN 978-93-5388-734-6 (Hardcover).
Effecting Equity and Equality of Opportunity in a Socially Diverse India
Authors: Shariff Abusaleh
Published: March 2023

The social, geographic and economic diversity of India is a well-known fact. Reputed for its avowed adherence to the principle of ‘unity in diversity’, this country faces several real, day-to-day challenges that it must overcome. This essay explains a few puzzles in the evolution, conceptualisation, legalisation and implementation of the ‘quota–reservation’ policies in India. It argues that seemingly logical and fair affirmative actions through ‘targeting strategies’ can be counterproductive in the long run. While describing an instance of the ‘equal but separate’ approach in imparting education to India’s minority communities as exclusionary, the essay also suggests that data-based understanding of the structure of social and economic differentials is the key to chart out robust policies for overcoming social exclusion and achieve effective equity.
Gender, Presence and Representation: Can Presence Alone Make for Effective Representation?
Authors: Agarwal Bina
Published: March 2023

One of the earliest demands of Indian women’s organisations in the pre-Independence period was the right to be elected to legislative bodies. Yet, almost a century later, a vast gender gap persists in terms of women’s presence at all levels of governance. Why is it important to include women in political and policy decision-making bodies, beyond the issue of equality? Do women representatives necessarily represent women’s interests? Indeed, how do we define women’s interests and how can they be represented best? And how much presence makes for effective representation? This paper addresses these questions, both conceptually and based on empirical evidence.
Better to Give than to Receive: A Study of BRICS Countries Stock Markets
Authors: Panda Pradiptarathi , Ahmad Wasim , Thiripalraju M.
Published: March 2023

This study uses the MGARCH-BEKK model and Diebold–Yilmaz (DY) volatility spillover index to examine volatility spillovers among BRICS countries’ stock markets. The study finds that the own volatility spillover is more than the cross-markets and has increased during the financial crisis. In contrast, the cross-markets volatility spillovers have decreased after the financial crisis. The total net return spillover increased during the crisis period (27.30%) and the pre-crisis period (25.50%) in comparison with the post-crisis period (6.30%) and the whole sample period (10.70%). Brazil is the highest net volatility transmitter among the BRICS countries’ stock markets, and China is the highest net volatility receiver. We learned from the volatility network connectedness that China is highly connected with India regarding volatility. Foreign institutional investors may use this study’s result to find diversification opportunities across the BRICS stock markets.

JEL Codes: F3, G11, G12, G15
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges in an Adolescent with Comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Panda Tushar Kanta , Singhai Kartik , Nebhinani Naresh , Pareek Vrinda , Jain Shreyance
Published: March 2023

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is often found to be comorbid with bipolar disorder (BD) in children and adolescents. Both disorders are characterized by chronic irritability, emotional dysregulation, and behavioral problems. These overlapping symptoms often lead to diagnostic difficulty. In addition, ODD-BD comorbidity also presents multiple therapeutic challenges. Here, we describe the case of an adolescent male, who presented with comorbid ODD and BD, along with multiple diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
PHEIC and Global Health Governance: Do Human Rights and Sovereignty Carry Any Value?
Authors: Mayank Veer , Saxena Nidhi
Published: March 2023

The emergence of COVID-19 and subsequent declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) has brought into focus the role of the international health body in global health governance. Declaration of PHEIC under the ‘International Health Regulations’ empowers the WHO Director General (DG) to make emergency recommendations for measures which may require suspension of travel, halting of movement of goods suspected of spreading the disease; isolation or quarantine of suspected cases of infection and compulsory medical examination of individuals in certain cases. The declaration of a PHEIC may also amount to a threat to international peace and security as the ‘Security Council’ has determined through its resolution 2177 in the case of the Ebola crisis. In this context, the article seeks to investigate the importance of the two principles that play a role in the governance of health during a pandemic—one is the principle of human rights of individuals since it is the fundamental principle which forms a part of a governance regime; second, the principle of sovereignty since it is the States that decide whether to impose the measures and the extent to which the measures must be imposed.
Determining Factors to Improve Urban Environment with the Biophilic Urbanism Approach: A Case Study of Torghabeh City
Authors: Abadi Faezeh , Hosseinian Negar
Published: March 2023

Located in Khorasan Razavi province, Torghabeh city is a year-round tourist attraction in the north–east of Iran because of its natural and environmental beauty and semi-rural ecosystems. The aim of this article is to describe the challenges Torghabeh faces regarding rapid urbanisation with an environmental and biophilic approach. This article uses the qualitative–quantitative research method, and the results are analyzed in SPSS software and with the linear regression method to identify the most important factors. Based on the results, the most influential components in improving the urban environment of the city are as follows: the extent and severity of soil contamination; amount and severity of acoustic pollution; conservation, restoration and enhancement of biodiversity of the city; low-impact development; innovative and new urban green spaces and considerations and provision of water resources.
Renewable Energy, Urbanization, Financial Development and Environmental Degradation in the ASEAN Countries
Authors: Tran Thao , Tran Quan , Vu Nam Thanh , Vo Duc Hong
Published: March 2023

The ASEAN countries have increasingly become a new economic force in the global economy. Economic growth and development have significantly improved living standards. However, environmental degradation in the region has been significantly deteriorating. This study examines the long-term effects of renewable energy consumption, urbanization and financial development on environmental degradation in ASEAN countries from 1995 to 2020. Various econometric techniques are used, including the fully modified OLS, dynamic OLS, canonical cointegration regression and Ganger’s causality relationship. The empirical results indicate that increased renewable energy consumption and extended urbanization reduce environmental degradation. However, economic growth and financial development lead to increased environmental degradation. Granger’s causality relationship analysis confirms a bidirectional linkage between renewable energy consumption and urbanization, urbanization and financial development, and urbanization and environmental degradation. Financial development and urbanization also have a bidirectional causality relationship with economic growth. Finally, the results confirm a unilateral causality relationship between environmental degradation financial development and urbanization. The governments of the ASEAN countries will need to consider the significant roles of renewable energy usage and urbanization in their policies in achieving sustainable economic growth and development and improving environmental quality.
Insights Into Financial Contagion: A Bibliometric Study
Authors: Kaur Harpreet
Published: March 2023

Research on financial contagion has witnessed an exponential growth over the last two decades due to increase of interdependence among financial markets of various countries. In the present study, bibliometric analysis has been employed to summarize the present status and to identify significant gaps in the prevalent literature on financial contagion. The Scopus database has been used to retrieve information pertaining to 456 research papers on financial contagion via keyword searching approach over the period of more than two decades ranging from 1997 to 2021. Performance analysis techniques have provided valuable insights into the most influential authors, countries, organizations and journals that play active role in enriching the literature on the selected theme. Scientific mapping technique, namely bibliographic coupling has also been used to establish the linkage among those published papers that cite the same document. As a result, a thorough examination of the financial contagion documents not only examines current research characteristics and trends but also assists the researchers in determining the best research entrance point and in conducting in-depth research.
From Jakarta to Oceania: Indonesia’s Cultural Diplomacy with the South Pacific
Authors: Wardhani Baiq
Published: March 2023

The South Pacific region has become a top foreign policy priority for Jakarta. This essay explains Indonesia’s utilisation of the cultural approach in its diplomatic engagement with the South Pacific. Cultural dissemination as a tool of international relations is scantly studied even though its use in diplomacy has successfully forged mutual understanding between people of discrete backgrounds. Indonesia uses a cultural approach to catch up diplomatically in its neighbouring, but previously overlooked, region and to address its ‘poor image’ problem that has persisted there for more than three decades. The cultural approach is intended to complement political and economic approaches. This study aims to bridge the gap in the literature vis-à-vis the role of culture in shaping foreign policy goals. Indonesia undertakes this ‘soft diplomacy’ based on its long-term orientation toward its national identity, politico-business and strategic interests. The Indonesian government is optimistic that cultural diplomacy will succeed in enhancing Indonesia’s status in this zone.
The impact of oral health literacy on dental anxiety and utilization of oral health services among dental patients: a cross sectional study
Authors: Badran Amira , Keraa Khaled , Farghaly Mahassen Mohamed
Published: March 2023

Background

Low oral health literacy levels and deficient oral health knowledge jeopardize the communication between dentists and patients in different communities. This study aimed to examine the impact and association of oral health literacy with patients’ levels of dental anxiety and their utilization of dental health services.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Misr International University (MIU) dental clinics. The study utilized a structured, interview led questionnaire that was administered by second year dental students, over the period of two successive academic years 2018–2019 and 2019–2020. A total of 440 student interviewed a convenience sample of 440 dental patients: including 269 females (61.1%) and 171 males (38.9%). The questionnaire consisted of four sections; a demographic section, a modified Arabic Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy (ARELAD-30) Tool that measures the ability of the participants to read 30 commonly used dental terms. This questionnaire was modified by the authors to measure the participants’ knowledge by asking them to choose the most accurate meaning for each word based on their previous knowledge. Scoring was dependent on the participant’s immediate correct pronunciation, as well as comprehension of each word. The Arabic Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (AMDAS) was used to measure the level of dental anxiety, and the dental health service utilization was measured using the Utilization of oral health services questionnaire.

Results

One quarter (24.1%) of the participants read the 30 items of the A-REALD correctly. The average percentage of correct responses to the meaning of the dental terms was 71.2%. There was no statistically significant association between A-REALD and knowledge scores (Spearman’s Correlation coefficient ρ = -0.008, p-value = 0.872). There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between age and MDAS (Correlation coefficient ρ = -0.146, p-value = 0.002). A-REALD scores were inversely correlated with time since last visit (Regression coefficient = -0.027, p-value = 0.036, with 95% CI: -0.052 – -0.002).

Conclusion

Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that oral health literacy is significantly associated to dental health services utilization, while, dental anxiety is related to other variables, such as age and gender.
Determining the learning curve for percutaneous endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar degenerative diseases
Authors: Zhao Tingxiao , Dai Zhanqiu , Zhang Jun , Huang Yazeng , Shao Haiyu
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (PELIF) is one of the least invasive procedures for lumbar degenerative disorders (LDD). There is limited knowledge of the learning curve for PELIF.

Methods

A total of 93 consecutive patients who underwent PELIF performed by a single spine surgeon for LDD failed with conservative treatment were retrospectively reviewed. The case series was split into three groups based on timing: A (earliest third of patients); B (middle third of patients); and C (latest third of patients). The following were also recorded: operating time, X-ray exposure time, complications, radiologic fusion rates, pre- and postoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) scores (visual analogue scale (VAS) for back pain, VAS for leg pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association, Oswestry Disability Index and MacNab criteria), length of hospital stay, and need for revision surgeries. A learning curve was then developed by a logarithmic curve-fit regression analysis.

Results

The operative time gradually decreased over time, and an asymptote was reached after about 25 cases. Compared with group B or C, group A had significantly longer operative time, significantly longer length of hospital stay, needed significantly more x-ray exposure time. Though not significantly different, there are fewer complications and revision surgeries over time. There is no significant difference over time in PROMs scores except for the VAS back scores.

Conclusions

PELIF is an alternative for minimal invasive surgery for LDD, PELIF presents a learning curve to the practicing spine surgeon with regard to operative time, x-ray exposure time, length of hospital stay, clinical PROMs and radiographic outcomes and complications. The presented PELIF learning curve provided valuable insight to surgeons interested in performing this surgery.
Deep eutectic solvent-based manganese dioxide nanosheets composites for determination of DNA by a colorimetric method
Authors: Xu Jia , Yang Yuan , Du Juan , Lu Hui , Gao Wenqi , Gong Hongjian , HanXiao
Published: March 2023

Background

Nucleic acid is the carrier of genetic information and the keymolecule in life science. It is important to establish a simple and feasible method for nucleic acid quantification in complex biological samples.

Methods

Four kinds of hydrogen bond acceptors (choline chloride (ChCl), L-carnitine, tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)) were used to synthesize deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). DESs based manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanosheets composites was synthesized and characterized. DNA concentration was determined by a UVVis spectrometer. The mechanism of DNA-DES/MnO2 colorimetric system was further discussed.

Results

The composite composed of DES/MnO2 exhibited excellent oxidase-like activity and could oxidize 3,3’,5,5’ -tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to produce a clear blue change with an absorbance maximum at 652 nm. When DNA is introduced, the DNA can interact with the DES by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, thereby inhibiting the color reaction of DES/MnO2 with TMB. After condition optimization, ChCl/HFIP DES in 1:3 molar ratio was used for the colorimetric method of DNA determination. The linear range of DNA was 10–130 µg/mL and exhibited good selectivity.

Conclusion

A colorimetric method based on DES/MnO2 was developed to quantify the DNA concentration. The proposed method can be successfully used to quantify DNA in bovine serum samples.