bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alternative dosing regimens of GLP‐1 receptor agonists may reduce costs and maintain weight loss efficacy
Authors: Cengiz Anıl , Wu Calvin C. , Lawley Sean D.
Published: February 2025

Aims

To discover alternative dosing regimens of incretin mimetics that simultaneously reduce costs and maintain weight loss efficacy. As a secondary objective, we used our results to explore how allocating a limited incretin mimetics budget could affect public health on a national scale.

Materials and Methods

We used mathematical modelling and simulation of semaglutide and tirzepatide to investigate dosing regimens which have not yet been studied clinically. For semaglutide, we used a recent pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) model. For tirzepatide, we used a recent PK model and modelled PD by reparameterizing the semaglutide PD model to fit tirzepatide clinical data.

Results

Reducing dose frequency does not commensurately reduce weight loss. For example, merely switching from one dose per week (q1wk) to one dose every 2 weeks (q2wk) maintains roughly 75% of the weight loss. Furthermore, if the decrease in dose frequency involves an appropriate increase in dose size, then approximately 100% of the weight loss is maintained. In addition, we compared offering incretin mimetics to (1) a fraction of obese US adults with q1wk dosing versus (2) twice as many obese US adults with q2wk dosing. Though scenarios (1) and (2) require the same budget, our analysis suggests that (2) reduces national obesity and mortality to a much greater degree.

Conclusion

Our study highlights the potential utility of alternative dosing regimens of incretin mimetics. Compared with standard once‐weekly dosing, costs can be halved and weight loss maintained. These cost‐saving results have implications for patients, physicians, insurers, and governments.
Validation of the 2024 European Association for the Study of Obesity diagnostic criteria: A comprehensive assessment of obesity‐related mortality risks
Authors: Liu Xiao‐Yue , Ge San‐Yu , Liu Chen‐An , Yin Bing , Bu Zhao‐Ting , Zheng Xin , Chen Yue , Li Xiang‐Rui , Shi Han‐Ping
Published: February 2025

Aims

Obesity is a global public health challenge, and the traditional WHO‐proposed diagnostic criteria based on body mass index (BMI) often fail to fully assess related health risks. The European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) has proposed new criteria that combine BMI, waist‐to‐height ratio (WtHR) and complications to more accurately evaluate obesity‐related health risks.

Materials and Methods

This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database, covering the years 1999–2018. The study validated the new EASO criteria for diagnosing obesity, defined as BMI ≥25 kg/m2, WtHR ≥0.5 and the presence of 12 obesity‐related complications. The associations between obesity and mortality were assessed using Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Mediation analysis was conducted to explore potential mechanisms by which obesity impacts patient prognosis.

Results

A total of 39 066 participants were included, with a mean age of 43.6 years; 51.3% were male. Over a median follow‐up period of 141 months, 3708 deaths were recorded. The prevalence of obesity was 63.04% according to the new EASO criteria. The obesity rate based on BMI ≥30 is only 35.55%. The EASO criteria achieved a C‐index of 0.5549, which surpasses the predictive accuracy of the traditional BMI ≥30 kg/m2 criterion, with a C‐index of 0.5265. Cox regression analysis indicated that when using the traditional BMI ≥30 criterion to diagnose obesity, it was associated with all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD)‐related mortality, but it did not predict cancer‐related mortality. Obesity diagnosed by EASO criteria was significantly associated with an increased risk of all‐cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13 [1.02, 1.24]), CVD mortality (HR and 95% CI: 1.48 [1.20, 1.83]) and cancer mortality (HR and 95% CI: 1.26 [1.03, 1.54]). When using simplified BMI ≥25 kg/m2, WtHR ≥0.5 and any of the top five complications (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, CVD, metabolic syndrome and ageing) as diagnostic criteria, which had the highest C‐index (0.612), obesity remained an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival (HR and 95% CI for all‐cause mortality: 1.41 [1.26, 1.58], HR for CVD mortality: 2.08 [1.61, 2.68] and HR for cancer mortality: 1.32 [1.06, 1.65]).

Conclusions

This study confirms the prognostic value of the new obesity diagnostic criteria proposed by EASO, suggesting that these criteria offer a more accurate assessment of obesity‐related health risks.
Ketamine in insulin resistance: Pharmacokinetics, cardiovascular implications and cellular effects on cardiomyocytes
Authors: Ramirez Ariana , Howes Stephanie , Chilton Robert
Published: February 2025

Ketamine, a dissociative anaesthetic, has expanded its clinical use beyond anaesthesia to pain management and treatment‐resistant depression. As an N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor antagonist, ketamine disrupts the excitatory neurotransmission via interaction with the opioid, alpha‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isooxazole‐propionic acid receptor and serotonin pathways, contributing to its broad therapeutic potential. However, its use is not without risks. In patients with insulin resistance, ketamine's effect on glucose metabolism, mitochondrial function and oxidative stress are exacerbated. This paper explores ketamine's pharmacokinetics, cardiovascular impact and its cellular effects on cardiomyocytes, particularly in insulin‐resistant individuals. The findings discussed emphasize the importance of careful administration and monitoring in these vulnerable populations to balance ketamine's therapeutic benefits against its potential risks in patients with underlying metabolic or cardiovascular conditions.
Marcescence and prostrate growth in tree ferns are adaptations to cold tolerance
Authors: Brock James M. R. , Bellvé André M. , Burns Bruce R.
Published: February 2025

Cold tolerance strategies in plants vary from structural to biochemical permitting many plants to survive and grow on sites that experience freezing conditions intermittently. Although tree ferns occur predominantly across the tropics, they also occur in temperate zones and occasionally in areas that experience sub‐zero temperatures, and how these large ferns survive freezing conditions is unknown. Many temperate tree fern taxa are marcescent – retaining whorls of dead fronds encircling the upper trunk – or develop short or prostrate trunks, possibly to insulate against frost damage to their trunks and growing crowns. We asked the following questions: 1) do global growth patterns and traits of tree ferns respond to freezing conditions associated with latitude and elevation, 2) do growth patterns of tree ferns in New Zealand vary along a temperature‐related gradient, and 3) do marcescent tree fern skirts insulate the growing crown from sub‐zero temperatures? To establish what morphological adaptations permitted the Cyatheales to occur in biomes that experience intermittent sub‐zero temperatures and frost, we 1) reviewed the global distributions of these structural and morphological traits within the tree ferns (Cyatheales); 2) assessed the patterns of tree fern marcescence, and other traits potentially associated with cold tolerance (no trunk, prostrate, short‐trunked) of nine taxa of the Cyatheales along environmental gradients across New Zealand; and 3) conducted a field experiment to assess the thermal insulation properties of tree fern marcescent skirts. We identified significant trends among growth forms, marcescence, and environmental gradients consistent with our hypothesis that these are adaptations to tolerate cold. Our field experiments provide quantitative evidence that marcescent skirts have a strong insulating effect on tree fern trunks. The Cyatheales have evolved several strategies to protect the pith cores of their trunks from extreme cold temperatures in temperate forests allowing them to capture niche space in environments beyond the tropics.
Promoting Gender Equality in Preservice Teachers Through Creative Drama Activities Integrated With Children's Picture Books: A Mixed‐Methods Research
Authors: Şeren Nurbanu , Çetinkaya Fatih Çetin , Yıldırım Kasım
Published: February 2025

The current research investigated the effect of creative drama activities combined with children's picture books on preservice teachers' attitudes towards gender equality. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods research design. While the quantitative stage used a quasiexperimental pretest–posttest control group research design, the qualitative stage involved a focus group interview. The quantitative data were analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and the participants' pretest scores were assigned as the covariate variable. The qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. The quantitative data showed that the treatment group had significantly higher estimated marginal mean posttest gender role attitudes (GRAS) scores compared to the control group. The qualitative data indicated that the intervention made the participants more active and helped them identify and resolve problems associated with traditional gender role stereotypes. The intervention allowed the participants to develop positive attitudes towards eliminating inequalities caused by gender role stereotypes.
The Evolving Classification of Acid Sulfate Soils
Authors: Rabenhorst Martin C. , Fitzpatrick Rob , Boman Anton
Published: February 2025

The process of classification helps us organize knowledge and it helps us to better appreciate relationships and connections. Classification also facilitates communication, and good classification systems will be (to some degree) practical and utilitarian. While the problematic nature of acid sulfate (AS) soils has been recognized (by some) at least since the 18th century, much of what we understand about AS soils only began to be recognized around the time of the 1st International AS Soils Conference in 1972. As our modern soil classification systems emerged during the last half century, many of their architects knew to incorporate these challenging and unique soils. Thus, as our experience and understanding of these soils has expanded, we have also seen corresponding changes or adaptations in the classification systems to accommodate the new knowledge. In this paper we examine revised principles, perspectives and structures for the classification of AS soils through three systems used broadly around the world: US Soil Taxonomy, the World Reference Base for Soil Resources and the Australian Soil Classification. All of these classification systems have accommodated AS soils throughout their history and each has demonstrated distinctive changes during particular periods. As our concepts and understanding of AS soils have developed, these have become encoded (quickly or slowly) in our classifications. This paper will explore how various AS soil concepts have been addressed within these three classification systems, how these concepts have changed through time, and how changes in each system have preceded, followed or paralleled the other systems. We highlight differences between systems that have existed and that may remain, and offer perspectives on the rationale for these distinctives. We will also demonstrate the ways in which collaborations and shared knowledge have drawn parts of these systems more closely together.
Current Problems Leading to Soil Degradation in Africa: Raising Awareness and Finding Potential Solutions
Authors: Mesele Samuel A. , Mechri Mouna , Okon Michael A. , Isimikalu Theophilus O. , Wassif Omnia M. , Asamoah Eric , Ahmad Hadiza A. , Moepi Polao I. , Gabasawa Alhassan I. , Bello Suleiman K. , Ayamba Benedicta E. , Owonubi Ayodele , Olayiwola Victor A. , Soremi Paul A. S. , Khurshid Chrow
Published: February 2025

Promoting food security, fostering economic growth, and building resilience to climate change are crucial priorities in Africa, where the health and fertility of soils play a key role. Raising awareness about soil‐related issues and finding potential solutions are vital for addressing the complex interplay of factors affecting soils across the African continent. This paper is written in three parts. The first part highlights and discusses the current problems which include soil erosion, desertification, nutrient imbalances, acidity, salinization, deforestation, and soil compaction. The second part highlights the effects of the identified causes on soil and agricultural productivity, and human health, which included but was not limited to loss of fertile land and biodiversity, increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nutrient depletion, loss of ecosystem services, malnutrition, and other human health issues. The third part proffers potential solutions to tackle soil degradation in Africa. Some of the suggested solutions include afforestation of degraded land, integrated landscape management that involves innovative soil fertility and rangeland management, and effective soil conservation measures to combat erosion. Strengthening policy implementation at regional and country levels, such as awareness creation, education, and community engagement on soils as the basis of human existence, is also crucial. We concluded that no single solution fits all while addressing soil degradation in Africa, but integrated approaches that promote sustainable soil management, such as conservation agriculture, crop rotation, agroforestry, afforestation, organic farming, and community engagement, would have a significant impact in resolving the menace of soil degradation.
Prolonged diapause and its possible adaptive significance in the gall wasp Synergus itoensis (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae)
Authors: Wu Yajao , Abe Yoshihisa
Published: February 2025

Here, we report the bimodal adult emergence in a synergine gall‐inducing wasp. On December 29, 2019, 150 Quercus glauca acorns containing Synergus itoensis galls were obtained from the Ito Campus of Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. The galls were kept in a test tube for each acorn in the shade under field conditions until October 24, 2022. The emergence of adult wasps from the galls was recorded. More adults emerged in 2020 (151 females and 181 males) than in 2021 (120 females and 93 males); however, no emergence occurred in 2022. The sex ratio was not significantly different from 1:1 in either 2020 or 2021. The 50% emergence date was early September in both years. Acorn production in Q. glauca fluctuates greatly from year to year. Hence, oviposition resources for adult female S. itoensis are abundant in years with high acorn production, but scarce in years with low acorn production. The bimodal emergence of adult S. itoensis wasps may have evolved to adapt to the fluctuations in acorn production in Q. glauca.
Establishing Historical Baselines of Arthropod Assemblages Using Rodent Paleomiddens
Authors: Braasch Joseph , Betancourt Julio , Dézerald Olivier , Peiris Udari , Tapia‐Rozas Maura , Villagra Cristian , Latorre Claudio , González Angélica L.
Published: February 2025

Aim

Arthropods are under‐represented in paleoecological studies but are critical agents in ecological processes. Despite rigorous documentation of diverse arthropod assemblages from ancient rodent (or paleo) middens worldwide, their use for studying ancient arthropod diversity has stalled in recent decades. Here, we review published studies to identify how paleomidden arthropods can be leveraged to address significant questions in ecology and synthesise spatiotemporal trends in ancient arthropod diversity.

Location

Global with a focus on the Americas.

Time Period

From ~40,000 to 100 years before present.

Major Taxa Studied

Fossil arthropods preserved in rodent paleomiddens.

Methods

We identified four primary objectives in ecology that can be advanced using paleomidden arthropod fossils: the reconstruction of ancient biodiversity, the elucidation of mechanisms and processes driving arthropod range shifts, the incorporation of arthropods into ancient trophic webs, and the assessment of adaptive responses to changing environments.

Results

We identified 20 papers reporting arthropod remains, of which 14 provided data suitable for quantitative analyses. Although no significant differences in arthropod community diversity were found across broad geographic regions, substantial differences in community structure were observed. In North America, we also detected a decline in arthropod diversity from 10 to 5 ka BP, driven primarily by the absence of high‐diversity assemblages during this period.

Main Conclusions

Paleomidden arthropods remain an underutilised ecological resource that can be leveraged to improve the inferential scope of arthropod research across spatiotemporal gradients. Collaboration between paleo‐ and neoecologists could help expand the sampling of ancient and modern arthropod communities, particularly those associated with paleomiddens, to create high‐resolution datasets spanning important periods in biogeographical history. Paleomidden arthropods will remain a fundamental component for understanding arthropod biodiversity changes in the past, present, and future.
Policy and Research Engagement in UK Higher Education. Policymaker and Expert Perspectives and Priorities
Authors: Mihut Georgiana , Ozsezer‐Kurnuc Sevda , Morris Rebecca , Perry Tom , Smith Emma
Published: February 2025

Policy and research engagement is a timely topic for researchers, decision‐makers, and higher education institutions that aim to promote engagement and impact. Examination of the complex research‐policy relationship in the higher education sector has been largely overlooked. This paper addresses this issue by presenting findings from in‐depth interviews with 11 UK higher education policymakers and experts on how higher education researchers can engage with the policy process in the UK context. It also highlights the views of interviewees about policy priorities for UK higher education that may shape higher education research agendas. With relevance across fields of expertise, the paper also discusses the role of independent research in shaping policy. The paper discusses barriers to engagement, research generation and use, and the role of independent research in the broader policy evidence landscape. To conclude, we suggest possible pathways for more productive engagement between researchers and policymakers.
Language Attitudes in the Global South
Authors: Brdarević‐Čeljo Amna , Dubravac Vildana , Selimović Sedina
Published: February 2025

Research on attitudes toward English varieties has been identified as a crucial contextual issue that is relevant to the implementation of the Teaching English as an International Language approach. Thus, the current study explores the attitudes of 400 Bosnian respondents toward different English varieties, employing a verbal guise technique for attitude elicitation. It also examines the respondents’ perceived intelligibility of these varieties and their conative responses and recognition rates. The results consistently showed that inner‐circle varieties, Standardised British in particular, were rated more favourably than expanding‐circle varieties and were perceived as more desirable and better understood. Their correct recognition rates were also much higher than those for expanding‐circle varieties. Expanding‐circle varieties were rated much less favourably, with the exception of moderately accented Bosnian English. All the other expanding‐circle varieties, heavily accented Bosnian English, Arabic and Turkish English, were not perceived as desirable. They were also considered less easily understood, and their recognition rates were low.
Functional Signatures of Surface Pollen and Vegetation Are Broadly Similar: Good News for Past Reconstructions of Vegetation
Authors: Dugerdil Lucas , Peyron Odile , Violle Cyrille , Joannin Sébastien , Ménot Guillemette , Denelle Pierre , Bruelheide Helge , Chytrý Milan , Field Richard , Hatim Mohamed Z. , Gholizadeh Hamid , Dolezal Jiri , Pillar Valério D. , Shaltout Kamal H. , Schrodt Franziska , Garnier Eric
Published: February 2025

Aim

Pollen assemblages are widely used to infer paleoenvironment features, aiming at reconstructing both past climates and biomes. However, the functional link between environmental conditions and pollen assemblages is not straightforward and requires thorough testing to be used confidently. Here, we use a trait‐based approach to assess the consistency of functional signatures between pollen and plant assemblages.

Location

Arid Central Asia (ACA).

Taxon

Spermatophytes (pollen‐producing plants).

Methods

We assess whether trait values and trait distributions are consistent for surface pollen samples and extant vegetation in the Arid Central Asia biogeographic region. A working plant checklist was compiled for ACA in order to assign trait values to pollen types and vegetation taxa. This was done for two widely used methods of pollen aggregation schemes (coarse and fine pollen type depend on the level of pollen identification). The functional signatures of pollen and vegetation samples were compared both at the taxon and community levels, using large‐scale trait and vegetation databases, for the six traits of the global spectrum of plant form and function (i.e., plant height, seed mass, leaf area, specific leaf area, nitrogen content per leaf mass, and stem‐specific density).

Results

Trait distributions and bivariate trait relationships were broadly similar for pollen types and vegetation taxa, which is also the case for the multivariate spaces of the global spectrum of plant form and function. At the community scale, the trait values weighted by taxon abundance significantly differed among biomes, and these differences were consistent for both pollen aggregation schemes and extant.

Main Conclusions

The pollen aggregation scheme does not impact the organisation of the functional space of the global spectrum of plant form and function, which compares well with that based on species actually present in the vegetation plots. This is also true at the community scale. These findings are very promising for improving climate and biome reconstructions from pollen assemblages and pave the way to a “pollen functional biogeography”.
Diagnostic Yield of a Novel 11‐Fr Digital Cholangioscope for Indeterminate Biliary Disease Using Macroscopic‐On‐Site Evaluation: Prospective Comparative Study
Authors: Ogura Takeshi , Ueno Saori , Hakoda Akitoshi , Aboelezz Ahmad F. , Okuda Atsushi , Nishioka Nobu , Sakamoto Jun , Matsuno Jun , Uba Yuki , Tomita Mitsuki , Hattori Nobuhiro , Nakamura Junichi , Bessho Kimi , Nishikawa Hiroki
Published: February 2025

Background and Aim

A novel 11‐Fr digital cholangioscope (eyeMAX) has recently become available. However, a prospective comparative study of the diagnostic yield of the eyeMAX and of a conventional cholangioscope (SpyGlass DS II) has not been reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to prospectively compare the diagnostic yield of the eyeMAX and of the SpyGlass DS II for indeterminate biliary disease.

Patients and Method

Forceps biopsy was repeated until visible core tissue was obtained. The primary outcome of this study was the diagnostic accuracy of the biopsy specimens obtained by the eyeMAX. The secondary outcomes were comparisons of the diagnostic yield of visual findings, tissue size, number of forceps biopsies until MOSE positivity, and adverse events.

Results

Fifty patients were prospectively enrolled in the eyeMAX group. And 47 patients in the SpyGlass DS II group were enrolled as a historical control. The number of biopsies was significantly fewer in the eyeMAX group than in the SpyGlass DS II group (p = 0.001). Tissue size was larger in the eyeMAX group (2.96 ± 0.69 mm2) than in the SpyGlass DS II group (1.80 ± 1.61 mm2). The diagnostic accuracy was also higher in the eyeMAX group (96.0%, 48/50) than in the SpyGlass DS II group (80.9%, 38/47). The diagnostic accuracy for the final diagnosis was slightly higher in the eyeMAX group (93.5%, 47/50) than in the SpyGlass DS II group (89.3%, 42/47).

Conclusions

The eyeMAX has a favorable diagnostic yield in terms of visual findings and the forceps biopsy specimen.

Trial registration: 000049465
Inspiring Undergraduate Student Training in Alzheimer's Research (USTAR): Training the Next Generation of Aging Scientists
Authors: Casten Robin , Kelley Megan , Lawal Hakeem , Lopez Bernard L. , Parks Susan , Perchiniak Erin , Rovner Barry
Published: February 2025

Inspiring Undergraduate Student Training in Alzheimer's Research (USTAR) aims to provide Underrepresented Minority (URM) undergraduate students with mentored didactic, clinical, and research experiences to stimulate interest in research related to Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). USTAR specifically focuses on social determinants of health (SDOH) as risk factors for ADRD minoritized populations. USTAR's scientific rationale is that URM undergraduates are less likely to enter the biomedical workforce. Addressing this disparity is important since minorities are disproportionally affected by ADRD, and URM scientists may deeply appreciate the sociocultural forces that create racial health disparities. USTAR unites faculty expertise from Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) and Delaware State University (DSU), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The faculty's work spans the full spectrum of ADRD research and care, including neuroscience, biology, gerontology, geriatrics, neurology, and geriatric psychiatry. The 20‐month USTAR program will train two cohorts of 10 students. Across all USTAR activities, we emphasize the relationship between SDOH and cognition. USTAR's goals are to: (1) provide interdisciplinary ADRD‐related research, educational, clinical, and community experiences; (2) enhance research skills via group research projects; (3) facilitate transition from undergraduate to graduate studies in science; and (4) evaluate USTAR's effectiveness. USTAR has the potential to increase diversity in the national workforce that conducts health disparities research pertaining to ADRD. This goal aligns with the National Institute on Aging's (NIA) mission to meet the nation's biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs and to ensure health equity for all Americans.
Effects of a Tanzanian prenatal group education program about preeclampsia/eclampsia: A quasi‐experimental study
Authors: Sakurai Sachiko , Mwilike Beatrice , Horiuchi Shigeko , Mushy Stella E.
Published: February 2025

Aim

This study examined the effects of a prenatal group education program in Tanzania which was focused on preeclampsia/eclampsia according to knowledge, behavioral intention, Pregnancy‐Related Empowerment Scale, satisfaction, and the incidence of preeclampsia.

Methods

The study was conducted in two district hospitals in Tanzania and used a facility‐based pre‐post quasi‐experimental design with concurrent control. The prenatal group education program was developed to focus on preeclampsia/eclampsia and consisted of lectures, discussions, and review sessions directed at participatory group education. The intervention group participated in a midwife‐facilitated prenatal group education program, whereas the control group received routine care. Data were collected through questionnaires before the intervention and 1 month later. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed.

Results

The study analyzed 95 pregnant women within an intervention group (n = 48) and control group (n = 47). At the 1‐month post‐test, statistically significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups in the knowledge score (mean = 3.8, SD = 3.6 vs. mean = −0.8, SD = 3.1, p < .001) and satisfaction score (mean = 4.9 vs. mean = 4.6, p = .032). Between the two groups, there were no significant differences in the scores of behavioral intention, Pregnancy‐Related Empowerment Scale, and the incidence of preeclampsia.

Conclusion

The prenatal group education program increased the knowledge level regarding preeclampsia and gave higher satisfaction among pregnant women. Knowledge was retained for at least 1 month. Continuity in implementation of this program is recommended.
City Digitalization and Corporate Financial Fraud: An Information Asymmetry Perspective
Authors: Shen Lu , Zhou Kevin Zheng , Luo Daokang
Published: February 2025

One pivotal driver of corporate financial fraud is the information asymmetry between cooperative executives and external stakeholders. We propose that city‐level digitalization can mitigate such information asymmetry and deter financial fraud of local firms. Using panel data from listed firms and archival data in China, we find that city digitalization is negatively associated with the incidence of corporate financial fraud. However, this association is weaker in regions with high bureaucratic corruption but is stronger for firms with low corporate social responsibility scores. Further mediating analyses show that city digitalization reduces information asymmetry between local firms and the market and in turn decreases financial fraud incidence. Overall, our research sheds novel light on the governance role of city digitalization and highlights the significance of complementarity between various governance components.
Hypercoagulability identified in dogs with chronic enteropathy using a point‐of‐care viscoelastic assay
Authors: Barth S. I. , DeMonaco S. M. , Conner B. J. , Wilkinson A. R.
Published: February 2025

Objectives

Thromboelastography (TEG) using the TEG 6s, a point‐of‐care viscoelastic assay, was prospectively evaluated in dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE). Additionally, the study determined whether disease activity, assessed using the Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index (CCECAI), correlated with TEG 6s parameters.

Materials and Methods

A CCECAI score and TEG using the TEG 6s (Haemonetics®) was performed on 19 dogs with CE. In a separate study, TEG using the TEG 6s was performed on 40 healthy adult dogs, which served as the control group. For statistical analysis, normally distributed data were analysed using the two‐sample t‐test. Non‐Gaussian data were analysed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Correlations between TEG 6s parameters and the CCECAI scores were assessed using the Pearson test for data with Gaussian distribution and the Spearman test for data with non‐Gaussian distribution.

Results

Dogs with CE had significantly shortened mean clot kinetics, prolonged mean reaction time (R) and increased alpha angle (angle), maximum amplitude (MA) and RapidTEG™ MA compared to healthy dogs. Dogs with CE had a significant median increase in Functional Fibrinogen MA compared to healthy dogs. The CCECAI moderately positively correlated with angle.

Clinical Significance

With the exception of prolonged R, dogs with CE have several TEG 6s alterations suggestive of hypercoagulability.
On the Optimal Prediction of Extreme Events in Heavy‐Tailed Time Series With Applications to Solar Flare Forecasting
Authors: Verma Victor , Stoev Stilian , Chen Yang
Published: February 2025

The prediction of extreme events in time series is a fundamental problem arising in many financial, scientific, engineering, and other applications. We begin by establishing a general Neyman–Pearson‐type characterization of optimal extreme event predictors in terms of density ratios. This yields new insights and several closed‐form optimal extreme event predictors for additive models. These results naturally extend to time series, where we study optimal extreme event prediction for both light‐ and heavy‐tailed autoregressive and moving average models. Using a uniform law of large numbers for ergodic time series, we establish the asymptotic optimality of an empirical version of the optimal predictor for autoregressive models. Using multivariate regular variation, we obtain an expression for the optimal extremal precision in heavy‐tailed infinite moving averages, which provides theoretical bounds on the ability to predict extremes in this general class of models. We address the important problem of predicting solar flares by applying our theory and methodology to a state‐of‐the‐art time series consisting of solar soft x‐ray flux measurements. Our results demonstrate the success and limitations in solar flare forecasting of long‐memory autoregressive models and long‐range‐dependent, heavy‐tailed FARIMA models.
Natural neopolyploids: a stimulus for novel research
Authors: Edger Patrick P. , Soltis Douglas E. , Yoshioka Shunsuke , Vallejo‐Marin Mario , Shimizu‐Inatsugi Rie , Shimizu Kentaro K. , Salmon Armel , Hiscock Simon , Ainouche Malika , Soltis Pamela S.
Published: February 2025

Recently formed allopolyploid species offer unprecedented insights into the early stages of polyploid evolution. This review examines seven well‐studied neopolyploids (we use ‘neopolyploid’ to refer to very recently formed polyploids, i.e. during the past 300 years), spanning different angiosperm families, exploring commonalities and differences in their evolutionary trajectories. Each neopolyploid provides a unique case study, demonstrating both shared patterns, such as rapid genomic and phenotypic changes, and unique responses to hybridization and genome doubling. While previous studies of these neopolyploids have improved our understanding of polyploidy, significant knowledge gaps remain, highlighting the need for further research into the varied impacts of whole‐genome duplication on gene expression, epigenetic modifications, and ecological interactions. Notably, all of these neopolyploids have spontaneously arisen due to human activity in natural environments, underscoring the profound consequences of polyploidization in a rapidly changing world. Understanding the immediate effects of polyploidy is crucial not only for evolutionary biology but also for applied practices, as polyploidy can lead to novel traits, as well as stress tolerance and increased crop yields. Future research directions include investigating the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying polyploid evolution, as well as exploring the potential of neopolyploids for crop improvement and environmental adaptation.
Conflicted About Coworkers: How Coworker Support Influences Engagement After Status Loss
Authors: Marr Jennifer Carson , Lemay Edward P. , Park Hyunsun
Published: February 2025

People's needs for status and support are theoretically distinct, yet little research has considered how people cope with having one but not the other. We examine how people react to status loss as a function of whether they typically perceive their coworkers as supportive. Although social support is documented as a resource people can draw on to cope with failure at work, we argue that in the case of failures that implicate status (i.e., status loss), experiencing these events in a more supportive work group may not aid recovery and reengagement. Specifically, we predict that when the preexisting group context is one of more (rather than less) supportive coworkers, status loss may elicit greater ambivalence about those coworker relationships, triggering psychological reactions that undermine engagement. Consistent with this model, in a weekly experience sampling study of working adults (Study 1), having more supportive coworkers led to a stronger negative effect of weekly status loss on subsequent engagement. In scenario‐based (Study 2) and high‐involvement laboratory (Study 3) experiments featuring different manipulations of coworker support and status loss, we found that when individuals experienced status loss in more (rather than less) supportive work groups, status loss led to lower engagement because it heightened ambivalence about their coworker relationships, which triggered anxiety (Study 2), and self‐threat and hurt feelings (Study 3). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Serosurvey of Toxocariasis and Its Association With Allergic Asthma in Children: A Case–Control Study in Southwest Iran
Authors: Pouryousef Ali , Abbasi Reza , Mehrabi Samer , Moshfe AbdolAli , Mikaeili Fattaneh , Rezaei Zahra , Rostamzadeh Davoud , Saadat AminAlah , ArefKhah Nasir
Published: February 2025

Evidence from multiple data sources indicates that toxocariasis might play a role in the allergic asthma in children. This case–control study investigated the connection between Toxocara seropositivity and allergic asthma. It also sought to identify the conventional risk factors associated with both asthma and Toxocara infection. In this case–control study, 200 allergic asthma children and 208 children with no history of allergic asthma were included as the healthy group. Sera samples were examined for specific anti‐Toxocara IgG antibodies using a serological assay. The overall prevalence of toxocariasis was 6.9% among children. The seroprevalence of toxocariasis in asthmatic children and healthy children was 8% and 5.8%, respectively, with no significant difference (p‐value = 0.373). In subgroup analyses based on sociodemographic, Toxocara infection seropositivity was significantly associated with two independent variables, including the father's occupation (p‐value = 0.017) and soil contact in asthmatic children (p‐value = 0.033). Our results showed a higher prevalence of Toxocara infection in asthmatic children compared to healthy controls, but this difference was not statistically significant. To gain a clearer understanding and comparison of Toxocara infection rates between asthmatic and healthy children, additional comprehensive studies with larger sample sizes and diverse detection methods using different antigenic sources are required.
Reproducibility of Tongue Pressure Values in Adults With Down Syndrome
Authors: Yamaguchi Hisaho , Oda Yuki , Aoki Gaku , Orihashi Yasushi , Miyazaki Hironori , Morimoto Masako , Yamada Sachiko , Yoshida Mitsuyoshi , Okada Yoshiyuki
Published: February 2025

Aim

Down syndrome (DS) involves an extra chromosome 21 and tongue hypotonicity. This study examined reproducibility of tongue pressure measurement (TPM) in DS patients.

Methods

Thirty patients with DS (13 females) who were able to complete three measurements underwent a tongue pressure test (TPT). Reproducibility was evaluated using intraindividual standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV). Patients were divided into two groups based on developmental age (DA): DA ≥ 4 years (over‐4 DA) and DA < 4 years (under‐4 DA).

Results

Thirty DS patients with a mean age of 33.0 ± 11.7 years and mean DA of 3.8 ± 1.2 years were analyzed. Median tongue pressure was 17.6 kPa, SD was 2.0 kPa, and CV was 11.9. Eleven patients were in the under‐4 DA group, and 19 were in the over‐4 DA group. Significant differences in speech presence and CV values were observed between the groups (p = 0.002, 0.043).

Conclusions

The reproducibility of the TPT in DS patients with a DA ≥ 4 years is comparable to that in normal subjects.
Current Theories and Epistemologies of Couple Communication Center White American Modes of Interaction
Authors: Williamson Hannah C. , Chen Po‐Heng
Published: February 2025

The way that partners communicate with each other has been strongly linked with relationship outcomes, and communication therefore occupies a prominent place in key theories of relationship functioning. Direct observation is considered the gold standard methodology for studying couple communication, and this method has been widely used in relationship science over the past 5 decades. Although direct observation of partners' interactional exchanges has yielded insight into the functioning of relationships, it is a tool that is the product of research conducted in the Global North, primarily using samples of White American couples. White American modes of communication and interaction prioritize openly and directly confronting problems, but there is evidence to indicate that this paradigm would not adequately capture the various ways that couples from other cultural backgrounds deal with relationship problems or communicate love and support. By upholding this rigid epistemological definition of “good science,” relationship scholars are limiting our ability to accurately understand relationship functioning among couples from cultural backgrounds that are not aligned with White American ideals, and perpetuating the White American mode of interaction as the “correct” way to behave in a relationship. The current manuscript highlights the ways in which the current observational paradigm is problematic for diversifying relationship science and discusses adjustments that must be made to this methodology, as well as alternative methodological approaches for studying couple communication, that should be adopted in order to move toward an inclusive, global science of close relationships.
A Credibility Revolution for Relationship Science: Where Can We Step Up Our Game?
Authors: Joel Samantha , Eastwick Paul W. , Khera Devinder
Published: February 2025

The discipline of psychology is undergoing a credibility revolution whereby researchers are critically evaluating and improving their research practices. In this review, we consider how the field of relationship science could capitalize on this movement in the context of four types of validity. Regarding statistical‐conclusions validity, we find that relationship scientists are engaging in open science practices (e.g., preregistration, open data sharing) at similar rates to other fields in the context of personality and social psychology journals. However, journals that are specific to the field (i.e., close relationships journals) could do more to encourage these practices. Meanwhile, new meta‐scientific research suggests that the field would benefit greatly from rigorous, widescale measurement validation work (construct validity), novel strategies to account for causal confounds (internal validity), and more diverse representation in our samples and measures (external validity). Overall, the credibility revolution offers several specific, actionable recommendations to improve the validity of research findings, many of which are highly relevant to relationship science.
Effect of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivation on soil organic carbon stocks in Germany
Authors: Grunwald Dennis , Poeplau Christopher , Koch Heinz‐Josef , Jacobs Anna
Published: February 2025

Sugar beet is generally seen as detrimental to soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks for multiple reasons although actual data verifying this claim are scarce. In this study, two approaches were combined to examine the effect of sugar beet on SOC from field data in Germany. First, SOC data of the German Agricultural Soil Inventory were used to compare sugar beet sites with similar sites without sugar beet cultivation. Second, a long‐term crop rotation trial in Central Germany was evaluated for differences in SOC among crop rotations with and without sugar beet. Further, carbon input into soil from sugar beet residues was compared with wheat as a reference. In the nationwide dataset, lower SOC stocks (−4.6%) were found for sugar beet sites compared with those without. However, a re‐sampling of the sites 10 years later showed no (further) SOC loss. In the long‐term trial, no negative impact of sugar beet cultivation on SOC was found. From both databases, carbon input from sugar beet crop residues (2 and 2.7 Mg ha−1 year−1, respectively) was much lower than from wheat (3.6 and 5.8 Mg ha−1 year−1, respectively) because of evident differences in the amount of belowground residues. However, this may be counteracted by growing cover crops before sugar beet, as done in the long‐term field trial studied. We conclude that sugar beet might have had a negative impact on SOC stocks in the past, yet that this does not necessarily continue in the present on long‐term sugar beet fields, possibly because of a current steady SOC state. When growing cover crops, sugar beet cultivation might have no negative effect on SOC at all. In any case, a general loss of SOC because of sugar beet cultivation cannot be assumed.
Reflections on the Use of k‐Nearest‐Neighbours Bespoke Neighbourhoods in Urban Studies
Authors: Amcoff Jan
Published: February 2025

During the first decades of the 21st century, bespoke neighbourhoods have often replaced predefined areas in urban studies. This development has been enabled by the improved availability of detailed data, as well as methodological innovations (e.g. the construction of bespoke neighbourhoods based on k‐nearest neighbours, or knn). This paper argues that, while knn‐based bespoke neighbourhoods facilitate more nuanced results in several respects, they do not provide all the advantages claimed by their advocates; as have been pointed out, they also present new problems. A literature review of the arguments for knn, illustrated by concrete examples of how k = 400 neighbourhoods fit the varying physical urban environments, leads to the conclusion that, despite explicit claims to the contrary, the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) still remains, and certainly various physical aspects of urban space, are largely ignored. Finally, this article discusses various possible ways to include aspects currently missing.
Nigerian English: History, functions and features
Authors: Ugwuanyi Kingsley O. , Aboh Sopuruchi Christian
Published: February 2025

This article offers a comprehensive overview of Nigerian English, a rapidly expanding variety of world Englishes, recognised as one of the fastest‐growing varieties of English globally in numerical terms. This article has four aims. First, it discusses the historical developments of English in Nigeria with reference to the events that led to the implantation of English in Nigeria and the periods in which these events occurred. Second, the article highlights the status and functions of English in official, educational, religious, media, creative writing and other domains in Nigeria. Third, it describes the phonological, lexico‐semantic, morphosyntactic and discourse–pragmatic features of Nigerian English. Finally, following the survey, this article suggests directions for future research on Nigerian English. A key conclusion drawn from this article is that English has firmly established itself in Nigeria and that the functional range, significance and recognition of Nigerian English are expected to continue expanding.
On the minimal period of integer tilings
Authors: Łaba Izabella , Zakharov Dmitrii
Published: February 2025

If a finite set tiles the integers by translations, it also admits a tiling whose period has the same prime factors as . We prove that the minimal period of such a tiling is bounded by , where is the diameter of . In the converse direction, given , we construct tilings whose minimal period has the same prime factors as and is bounded from below by . We also discuss the relationship between minimal tiling period estimates and the Coven–Meyerowitz conjecture.
The Algebraic Kirchberg–Phillips Question for Leavitt path algebras
Authors: Ruiz Efren
Published: February 2025

The Algebraic Kirchberg–Phillips Question for Leavitt path algebras asks whether pointed ‐theory is a complete isomorphism invariant for unital, simple, purely infinite Leavitt path algebras over finite graphs. Most work on this problem has focused on determining whether (up to isomorphism) there is a unique unital, simple, Leavitt path algebra with trivial ‐theory (often reformulated as the question of whether the Leavitt path algebras and are isomorphic). However, it is unknown whether a positive answer to this special case implies a positive answer to the Algebraic Kirchberg–Phillips Question. In this note, we pose a different question that asks whether two particular non‐simple Leavitt path algebras and are isomorphic, and we prove that a positive answer to this question implies a positive answer to the Algebraic Kirchberg–Phillips Question.