bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping of the selected literature on robotic technology applications in libraries based on Scopus database: a subjective computational review
Authors: Basumatary Bwsrang , Yuvaraj Mayank , Verma Nitesh Kumar , Verma Manoj Kumar
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Adopting and implementing robotic technology applications in the library is a significant technological up-gradation today. The purpose of this study was to evaluate selected literature focused mainly on robotics technology applications in the field of libraries and to assess the online social attention to research publications.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed Scientometric and altmetric tools to evaluate the research publications. The bibliographic data of research publications were downloaded from Scopus database and scrutinized one by one and 71 articles were selected which mainly focused on robotic technology in libraries. Altmetric data were collected from the Dimensions.ai database. The analysis was performed using MS Excel, Tableau, Biblioshiny, VOSviewer and SPSS software.

Findings

Research on robotic technology in the field of libraries has been experiencing a gradual increase, marked by an annual growth rate of 12.93%. The United States has prominently led the way as the most active participant and collaborator in this advancement. Among the various journals, Library Hi Tech has notably stood out as a significant contributor to this field. However, the research articles have garnered limited social attention and impact. Furthermore, the patterns of authorship collaboration have demonstrated relatively modest levels within the field, and a weak correlation has been observed between the social attention received and the Scopus citation metrics of the publications.

Practical implications

The research needs to be disseminated more through various social media platforms to increase its visibility. Sharing research information through social media can bridge the gap between academia and society. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable reference for researchers and policymakers.

Originality/value

This study presents a Scientometric analysis of the selected published literature on robotics technology applications in the field of libraries, highlighting the progress and development of worldwide research in this area.
Paws for thought? Developing dog projects for older people in prison
Authors: Codd Helen
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aims to assess the nature and scope of dog-based programmes in prisons, assessing critically the potential opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks of developing innovative dog-based programmes for older prisoners in England and Wales. This paper outlines the potential benefits and challenges of developing dog-based programmes for older prisoners and sets out next steps for future research and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a scoping review of published research literature on prison dog programmes (PDPs) in the USA, the UK and other countries, with particular reference to older people in prison, followed by semi-structured interviews with six members of an expert advisory group. The literature review and data from the qualitative interviews were analysed thematically.

Findings

There is a substantial body of published research literature which supports PDPs as having identifiable positive impacts for people and also dogs, and also published research which highlights the benefits to older people of dog ownership or participation in dog-based activities. However, much of this research is small-scale and qualitative, and it has been argued that there is a lack of a quantitative evidence base. This research concludes that findings from the literature review and the semi-structured interviews support further research and the creation of pilot projects to develop dog-based projects for older people in prison.

Research limitations/implications

This study was small-scale, and the findings need to be approached with caution. The literature review searched a small number of databases and filtered out articles published in languages other than English, and the review of the grey literature focused on reports from the UK. The number of experts interviewed was small and there was no direct consultation with older people in prison nor with older people with recent personal lived experience of imprisonment and community resettlement. A more extensive future study would benefit from a more extensive literature review, a larger group of participants and the inclusion of service users, prison managers and government policymakers, subject to the appropriate ethical and security approvals. At the time the research took place, ongoing COVID-19 restrictions on prison research meant that research with current prisoners and prison managers would not have been approved by the HMPPS NRC.

Practical implications

This research provides a research-based justification for future dog projects for older prisoners, leading potentially to improved well-being for older people in prison.

Originality/value

This study brings together the published research literature on PDPs with the research literature on the needs and experiences of older people in prison for the first time, and identifies potential directions for future research.
Leadership characteristics for implementation and sustainability of quality: an exploratory study and directions for further research
Authors: Laureani Alessandro , Antony Jiju , Ramadan Mariam Ali , Al Dhaheri Maha Khalifa , Fundin Anders , Sörqvist Lars
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This qualitative study aims to explore the concept of organisational leadership in the context of Quality Management deployments across a variety of business organisations, particularly focusing on the possible relationships between leadership approaches during the implementation and sustaining phases of Quality Management.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on one-to-one semi-structured virtual interviews with leaders in the quality field.

Findings

Four themes (Customers, Leadership, Quality Culture and Sustainability of Quality) emerged from the post-interview data analysis, illustrating the critical role of Leadership in the successful deployment and sustainment of Quality Management and identifying the leadership traits that are most conducive to successful organisational deployments.

Originality/value

Although some of these leadership traits are described in the wider leadership literature as belonging to one or more different leadership styles, there is no existing style of leadership that comprehends all the characteristics; thus, the need for a new leadership paradigm is this paper's theoretical contribution to the literature.
When China strikes: Quantifying Australian companies' stock price responses to China's trade restrictions
Authors: Xiong Tao , Zhang Wendong , Zhao Fangxiao
Published: September 2023

In early 2020, China, Australia's top export market, unilaterally imposed trade restrictions on Australian barley, beef, coal, cotton, timber, copper and wine. However, convincing evidence regarding the effects of such trade restrictions on firms is scarce. Leveraging data on daily stock returns from 20 listed Australian and 32 listed Chinese firms that produce the restricted commodities, we provide the first systematic analysis of the firm‐level economic impacts of China's trade restrictions on Australian and Chinese firms. We find significant adverse effects on Australian firms' stock returns, leading to almost 20% loss within 10 trading days; however, most firms' stock returns immediately rebounded. In contrast, Chinese firms usually saw significant positive stock returns, leading to almost 30% gains, and the positive abnormal returns continuously increased within 10 trading days. Media coverage and trade dependence substantially impact Australian and Chinese firms' stock returns—industries with stronger trade dependence on China saw greater losses in Australian firms' stock returns. Our results suggest that tradereallocationanddeflectionare two effective mitigation mechanisms for Australian exporters facing China's trade restrictions.
Estimation of green mining GDP for 40 countries
Authors: Mardones Cristian
Published: September 2023

Mining is an important economic activity and a source of fiscal resources in many countries. However, its contribution to GDP does not reflect the depletion of non‐renewable natural resources and the environmental damage caused. For this reason, methodologies have emerged that allow correcting the traditional GDP through the so‐called green GDP. The main objective of this study is to use the same method, data from the same source, and economic valuation of the same components to compare the green GDP among countries and its evolution over time. Specifically, the green mining GDP (in millions of dollars for the year 2014) is estimated for 40 countries, valuing the depreciation of natural capital and the environmental damage associated with global and local air pollutants emissions. The results show that the green mining GDP represents only 24.4% of the mining GDP in all the countries studied from 2000 to 2014. However, the indicator is quite heterogeneous among countries and years analyzed. For example, 25 countries have had a positive green mining GDP in all years, and 10 countries have achieved it in recent years. Thus, it is concluded that there is ample space to develop more sustainable mining in many countries.
QD‐based fluorescent nanosensors: Production methods, optoelectronic properties, and recent food applications
Authors: Jia Zhixin , Shi Ce , Yang Xinting , Zhang Jiaran , Sun Xia , Guo Yemin , Ying Xiaoguo
Published: September 2023

Food quality and safety are crucial public health concerns with global significance. In recent years, a series of fluorescence detection technologies have been widely used in the detection/monitoring of food quality and safety. Due to the advantages of wide detection range, high sensitivity, convenient and fast detection, and strong specificity, quantum dot (QD)‐based fluorescent nanosensors have emerged as preferred candidates for food quality and safety analysis. In this comprehensive review, several common types of QD production methods are introduced, including colloidal synthesis, self‐assembly, plasma synthesis, viral assembly, electrochemical assembly, and heavy‐metal‐free synthesis. The optoelectronic properties of QDs are described in detail at the electronic level, and the effect of food matrices on QDs was summarized. Recent advancements in the field of QD‐based fluorescent nanosensors for trace level detection and monitoring of volatile components, heavy metal ions, food additives, pesticide residues, veterinary‐drug residues, other chemical components, mycotoxins, foodborne pathogens, humidity, and temperature are also thoroughly summarized. Moreover, we discuss the limitations of the QD‐based fluorescent nanosensors and present the challenges and future prospects for developing QD‐based fluorescent nanosensors. As shown by numerous publications in the field, QD sensors have the advantages of strong anti‐interference ability, convenient and quick operation, good linear response, and wide detection range. However, the reported assays are laboratory‐focused and have not been industrialized and commercialized. Promising research needs to examine the potential applications of bionanotechnology in QD‐based fluorescent nanosensors, and focus on the development of smart packaging films, labeled test strips, and portable kits‐based sensors.
Washed microbiota transplantation for Clostridioides difficile infection: A national multicenter real‐world study
Authors: Wu Xia , Ai Ru Jun , Xu Jie , Wen Quan , Pan Hua Qin , Zhang Zhi Hua , Ning Wang , Fang Ying , Ding Da Fa , Wang Quan , Han Shuang , Liu Xiao , Wu Mei , Jia Zhen Yu , Jia Song , Lin Tao , Cui Bo Ta , Nie Yong Zhan , Wang Xin , Zhang Fa Ming
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been recommended for the treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of washed microbiota transplantation (WMT), a new method of FMT, for CDI across various medical settings.

Methods

This multicenter real‐world cohort study included CDI patients undergoing WMT. The primary outcome was the clinical cure rate of CDI within 8 weeks after WMT. Secondary outcomes included the CDI recurrence rate and reduction in total abdominal symptom score (TASS) during the follow‐up period. Adverse events related to WMT were recorded.

Results

Altogether 90.7% (49/54) of CDI patients achieved clinical cure after treated with WMT. The cure rate was 83.3% for cases with severe and complicated CDI (ScCDI) (n = 30) and 100% for non‐ScCDI cases (n = 24) (P = 0.059). No difference was observed in the clinical cure rate between patients with first and recurrent CDI (91.9% vs 88.2%, P = 0.645). One week post‐WMT, TASS showed a remarkable decrease compared to that at baseline (P < 0.001). Totally, 8.2% (4/49) of patients suffered CDI recurrence during the follow‐up period. A WHO performance score of 4, age ≥65 years, higher TASS score, and higher Charlson comorbidity index score were potential risk factors for efficacy (P = 0.018, 0.03, 0.01, 0.034, respectively). Four (3.8%) transient adverse events related to WMT were observed.

Conclusions

This study emphasizes the attractive value of WMT for CDI. Early WMT may be recommended for CDI, especially for those in serious condition or with complex comorbidities.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT03895593 (registered on 27 March 2019).
Effect and mechanism of microRNAs on various diabetic wound local cells
Authors: Li Hongjie , Jing Shengyu , Xu Hongbo
Published: September 2023

The difficulty of wound healing in diabetes mellitus has long been regarded as a thorny problem in the medical field. One of the important reasons is the abnormal function of wound‐related cells. A large number of recent studies have shown that microRNA (miR), a noncoding RNA that exists in eukaryotic cells, is closely linked to the functions of various cells in diabetic wound, and ultimately affects the healing of wound. This paper establishes for the first time the connection between miR and wound healing from the cellular perspective and summarizes the effects of various miRs on one or more kinds of wound cells, including their targets and related mechanisms. The abnormal expression of miRs in the wound has certain value for the early diagnosis of diabetic wounds. Moreover, it seems that correcting miRs that are abnormal expressed in the wound or artificially adding miRs that can promote wound healing has an essential therapeutic value.
Observational longitudinal study to assess the outcome of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis using validated tools
Authors: Shukla Anuj , Gaur Priyanka
Published: September 2023

Introduction

There have been major changes in the classification and treatment of patients with idiopathic inflammatory myositis (IIM) in the last 2 decades. A major challenge is to identify the parameters that can affect the outcome and prognosis of these patients. Here, we have longitudinally followed a well‐characterized cohort of IIM patients in a rheumatology center and reported the outcome using the validated tools.

Method

Patients with a clinical diagnosis of IIM and a follow‐up duration of greater than 2 years were prospectively included in the study. The duration of the study was 6 years: July 2016–July 2022. Clinical details and follow‐up were recorded using pro‐formas and outcomes were noted using validated tools. Ethics approval and written informed consent were taken.

Results

Forty patients had a clinical diagnosis of IIM. Mean follow‐up duration was 43.8 (15) months. Out of 40 patients, 32 (80%) achieved remission (8 patients each were off corticosteroid and off treatment for >6 months), 5 (12%) expired and 3 (8%) had active disease. Disease course was non‐relapsing in 22/35 (73%) patients. Mean manual muscle testing‐8 score (n = 29) and myositis disease activity assessment tool score (n = 35) at the final visit were 75.6 (6.8) and 0.048 (0.07) respectively. Thirteen patients had damage (37%). Patients with disease duration >1 year at the time of presentation were more likely to develop chronic‐continuous disease course (P = .023, odds ratio [OR] = 7.6), more frequently required second‐line or third‐line immunosuppression (P = .001, OR = 24) with higher myositis damage index score (p = .0002, OR = 47).

Conclusions

IIM patients had good outcomes with the majority achieving remission and near‐complete muscle recovery. However, the patients presenting late to the rheumatologists were more likely to have smoldering disease, more immunosuppressive medicines, and greater accumulated damage.
Causal relationship between sex hormone‐binding globulin and major depression: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhu Haohao , Sun Yifan , Guo Shuaiyi , Zhou Qin , Jiang Ying , Shen Yuan , Zhou Zhenhe , Du Zhiqiang , Zhou Hongliang
Published: September 2023

Objective

This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) and major depression using two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) studies.

Methods

Based on the genome‐wide association study (GWAS) summary data of SHBG and major depression in the European population, which included 214,989 female SHBG samples, 185,221 male SHBG samples, and 500,199 major depression samples, we used genetic factors as instrumental variables to conduct two‐sample MR analyses. We used methods including inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, weighted mode, and MR Egger to evaluate the bidirectional causal relationship between SHBG and major depression.

Results

The results showed that there was a causal relationship between female SHBG and major depression, which was positively correlated. The ORs were 1.056 (95% CI: 1.005–1.109, p = 0.031) for the weighted median and 1.067 (95% CI: 1.012–1.126, p = 0.021) for the weighted mode. There was no significant effect of male SHBG on major depression (p > 0.05), and there was no significant effect of major depression on female SHBG (p > 0.05). Major depression was negatively correlated with male SHBG, indicating that major depression could lead to a decrease in male SHBG. The OR was 0.954 (95% CI: 0.916–0.993, p = 0.023) for IVW.

Conclusion

Female SHBG was positively correlated with the risk of major depression, however, major depression was found to be negatively correlated with serum SHBG levels in men, indicating that SHBG plays distinct roles in patients with major depression of different genders.
Role of oestrous cycle and orbitofrontal cortex in oxycodone seeking after 15‐day abstinence in female rats
Authors: Olaniran Adedayo , Altshuler Rachel D. , Burke Megan A. M. , Lin Hongyu , Firlie Julia , Linshitz Ilan , Li Xuan
Published: September 2023

Relapse to oxycodone seeking progressively increases after abstinence in rats, a phenomenon termed incubation of oxycodone craving. We have previously shown that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) plays a critical role in incubation of oxycodone craving in male rats. Here, we examined the effect of oestrous cycle on incubated oxycodone seeking in female rats, and whether the critical role of OFC in incubated oxycodone seeking generalizes to female rats. We first assessed oxycodone self‐administration and incubated oxycodone seeking on abstinence day 15 across the oestrous cycle. Next, we determined the effect of chemogenetic inactivation of OFC by JHU37160 (J60), a novel agonist for Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), on incubated oxycodone seeking on abstinence day 15. Finally, we determined the effect of J60 alone on incubated oxycodone seeking on abstinence day 15. We found no difference in oxycodone intake across oestrus, pro‐oestrus, and metoestrus stages during oxycodone self‐administration training. Incubated oxycodone seeking was also similar between nonoestrus and oestrus female rats. Moreover, chemogenetic inactivation of OFC by J60 decreased incubated oxycodone seeking on abstinence day 15, while J60 alone had no effect on incubated oxycodone seeking in no‐DREADD control rats. Taken together, results here show that the oestrous cycle has no effect on oxycodone intake and incubated oxycodone seeking in female rats under our experimental conditions. Furthermore, consistent with our previous findings in male rats, results here show that OFC also plays a critical role in incubated oxycodone seeking in female rats.
Basophil activation test as predictor of severity and threshold of allergic reactions to egg
Authors: Radulovic Suzana , Foong Ru‐Xin , Bartha Irene , Marques‐Mejias Andreina , Krawiec Marta , Kwok Matthew , Jama Zainab , Harrison Faye , Ricci Cristian , Lack Gideon , Du Toit George , Santos Alexandra F.
Published: September 2023

Background

Identifying patients at risk of severe allergic reactions and/or low threshold of reactivity is very important, particularly for staple foods like egg.

Methods

One hundred and fifty children underwent double‐blind placebo‐controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) to baked egg (BE), skin prick testing and blood collection for serology and basophil activation test (BAT). Patients who passed BE DBPCFC underwent loosely cooked egg (LCE) DBPCFC. Severity of allergic reactions was classified following Practall guidelines and threshold dose was determined during DBPCFC.

Results

Sixty out of 150 (40%) children reacted to BE and 16 out of 77 (21%) to LCE on DBPCFC. Considering DBPCFC to BE, 23 children (38%) had severe reactions and 33 (55%) reacted to 0.13 g or less of egg protein (low threshold group). Two children (2 out of 16 = 12%) had severe reactions to LCE. Demographic, clinical and most immunological features were not significantly different between severe/non‐severe BE reactors or low/high threshold groups. Severe BE reactors had higher ovomucoid‐sIgE (p = .009) and higher BAT to BE (p = .001). Patients with lower threshold to BE had higher IgE‐specific activity (p = .027) and BAT to egg (p = .007) but lower severity score (p = .008). Optimal cut‐offs for ovomucoid‐sIgE had 100% sensitivity, 35% specificity and 60% accuracy and for BAT 76% sensitivity, 74% specificity and 75% accuracy to identify BE severe reactors. Optimal cut‐offs for specific activity had 70% sensitivity, 68% specificity and 69% accuracy and for BAT 70% sensitivity, 72% specificity and 71% accuracy to identify low threshold patients.

Conclusions

BAT was the best biomarker to predict severity and threshold of allergic reactions to BE and can be useful when making decisions about management of egg allergy.
Incommunicable: Decolonizing perspectives on language and health
Authors: Briggs Charles L.
Published: September 2023

This article fosters a new relationship between linguistic and medical anthropology by decolonizing foundational conceptions of language and health. It reintroduces John Locke as a philosopher‐physician who used diagnosis of language disorders to impose a regime of communicability—reducing language to exchanging transparent, stable, purely referential signs. By deeming white, elite, able‐bodied European men alone capable of enacting this self‐help program, he connected communicability to whiteness and turned it into a means of evaluating and subordinating all others. Communicability also enabled him to shape how physicians produce knowledge in empiricist, atheoretical, observational fashion. I then trace physician‐philosopher Frantz Fanon's critique of how colonialism denies communicability to racialized subjects. Fanon's analysis of colonial medicine shows how clinical encounters can produce incommunicable subjects. Given that constructions of communicability have become highly visible features of medical education and practice and social‐scientific research on it, the article extends Fanon's analysis of physician‐patient communication more generally to ask if contemporary efforts to regiment clinical interactions and assess the communicable success of patients and doctors alike turn them into sites of incommunicability—assessments of communicable failure—for both parties. The article ends by imagining worlds beyond the oppressive weight of communicability and the stigma of incommunicability.
Fear the Native woman: Femininity, food, and power in the sixteenth‐century North Carolina Piedmont
Authors: Briggs Rachel V. , Rodning Christopher B. , Beck Robin A. , Moore David G.
Published: September 2023

Native women in Indigenous‐Western colonial entanglements are often portrayed as passive agents with little transformative social power in an otherwise dynamic landscape. However, Native women throughout the European colonial world many times controlled the most important resource required by European colonists: the knowledge and materials necessary to transform raw materials into “food.” Their control over this invaluable resource provided Native women with avenues of power both within their own societies and in European colonies. Here, we explore constructions and perceptions of Native women's power during the period of sixteenth‐century Spanish expeditions into the Carolina Piedmont and mountains by reviewing documentary data from entradas led by Hernando de Soto and Juan Pardo, as well as archaeological data from the Indigenous town of Joara and the Spanish colonial outpost of Cuenca and Fort San Juan at the Berry site (31BK22), located near Morganton, North Carolina. Employing an Indigenous feminist framework, we argue that the power vested in Native women through their own societies, as well as by Spaniards through their dependence on them for survival, provided Native women with far greater agency and power in entanglements with Spanish colonists, and interactions with European colonists more broadly, than previously recognized.
Thrombosis incidence in major paediatric burns
Authors: Kimball Ashlee , Gibson Edward , Quinn Linda , Cooksey Rebecca , Molony Darren , Lodge Michelle , Carney Bernard , Jeeves Amy
Published: September 2023

Background

Major burns are associated with multiple risk factors for thrombosis such as decreased mobilization and systemic inflammation. It is unclear if these factors are offset by the inherent lower thrombosis risk in the paediatric patient. As such there is no consensus on thromboprophylaxis for paediatric burns patients, in contrast to this being a mainstay of treatment in the adult population. This retrospective cohort study examines the incidence of, and risk factors for, thrombotic events in major paediatric burns with a view to establish guidelines for prevention.

Method

Review of major paediatric burns, defined as % total body surface area (%TBSA) ≥30%, at the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH) over a 16‐year period. Coding data and the local burns database were used to identify participants with subsequent review of case files.

Results

Of the cohort (n = 23), six cases (26%) were complicated by thrombotic events. These patients had the most extensive burns averaging 68.5% TBSA, longer PICU admissions and associated interventions. These data points were more than doubled in the cohort diagnosed with a thrombus. Of the six events, five were secondary to central venous catheters (CVC) and one deep venous thrombosis (DVT) to the left calf.

Conclusion

The incidence of thrombotic events in our study was significant albeit in a small population. There is a strong association between large %TBSA and thrombus, with clots mostly forming around CVCs. While further research is required, this study demonstrates screening and targeted thromboprophylaxis may be required for major paediatric burns.
A follow up on the feasibility after national implementation of magnesium sulfate for neuroprotection prior to preterm birth
Authors: Hellström Sara , Jonsdotter Andrea , Jonsson Maria , Pettersson Karin , Saltvedt Sissel , Herbst Andreas , Ågren Johan , Ådén Ulrika , Domellöf Magnus , Hagberg Henrik , Carlsson Ylva
Published: September 2023

Introduction

The risk for brain injury manifested as cerebral palsy is higher in very preterm born children than in term. Prenatal administration of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) has been shown to be neuroprotective and reduces the proportion of very preterm born children later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. A Swedish national clinical practice guideline was implemented in March 2020, stipulating the administration of a single intravenous dose of 6 g MgSO4 1–24 h prior to delivery before gestational age 32+0, aiming for 90% treatment coverage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of this new clinical practice guideline in the first year of its implementation.

Material and methods

Data on MgSO4 treatment were collected by reviewing the medical charts of women who gave birth to live born children in gestational age 22+0–31+6 during the period of March 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021, at five Swedish university hospitals. Women with pre‐eclampsia, eclampsia, or high elevated liver enzymes low platelets (HELLP) were excluded.

Results

A total of 388 women were eligible and 79% received treatment with MgSO4. Of the 21% not receiving treatment, 9% did not receive treatment due to lack of knowledge about the clinical practice guideline, 9% were not possible to treat and 3% had missing data. The proportion treated increased from 72% to 87% from the first to the last 3 months. Of those treated, 81% received the drug within the stipulated timeframe (mean 8.7 h, median 3.4 h).

Conclusions

There was a positive trend over time in the proportion of women receiving MgSO4 treatment, but the a priori target of 90% was not reached during the first year of implementation. Our findings indicate that this target could be reached with additional information to clinicians.
Firm heterogeneity in competition among the big and the small
Authors: Fujiwara Kenji
Published: September 2023

This paper makes comparative statics in a model in which oligopolistic and monopolistically competitive firms that are heterogeneous in productivity compete. We demonstrate that (i) entry of oligopolistic incumbents, (ii) reduction in entry cost of monopolistically competitive entrants, and (iii) market size expansion improve the average productivity in the whole economy. However, (i) and (iii) raise welfare, but (ii) may lower welfare because of the presence of oligopolistic firms.
The role of NMDARs in the anesthetic and antidepressant effects of ketamine
Authors: Zhou Liang , Duan Jingjing
Published: September 2023

Background

As a phencyclidine (PCP) analog, ketamine can generate rapid‐onset and substantial anesthetic effects. Contrary to traditional anesthetics, ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic and can induce loss of consciousness in patients. Recently, the subanaesthetic dose of ketamine was found to produce rapid‐onset and lasting antidepressant effects.

Aim

However, how different concentrations of ketamine can induce diverse actions remains unclear. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms underlying the NMDAR‐mediated anesthetic and antidepressant effects of ketamine are not fully understood.

Method

In this review, we have introduced ketamine and its metabolism, summarized recent advances in the molecular mechanisms underlying NMDAR inhibition in the anesthetic and antidepressant effects of ketamine, explored the possible functions of NMDAR subunits in the effects of ketamine, and discussed the future directions of ketamine‐based anesthetic and antidepressant drugs.

Result

Both the anesthetic and antidepressant effects of ketamine were thought to be mediated by N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) inhibition.

Conclusion

The roles of NMDARs have been extensively studied in the anaesthetic effects of ketamine. However, the roles of NMDARs in antidepressant effects of ketamine are complicated and controversial.
Identifying the common elements of psychological and psychosocial interventions for preventing postpartum depression: Application of the distillation and matching model to 37 winning protocols from 36 intervention studies
Authors: Lin Yuping , Zhang Xiangchun , Zhou Tianchun , Xu Feng , Zhu Xinli , Zhou Huixin , Wang Xiao , Ding Yan
Published: September 2023

Aim

Postpartum depression is prevalent worldwide and seriously endangers maternal and child health. Previous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of psychological and psychosocial intervention programmes in preventing postpartum depression. However, the literature offers limited practice guidance. Therefore, this study aimed to deeply analyse prior findings to gather rich evidence‐based information on this topic.

Methods

Using the distillation and matching model, we conducted a systematic review of psychological and psychosocial interventions used to effectively prevent postpartum depression. Four researchers trained in coding system independently read eligible studies and identified reliable (Cohen's kappa >0.40) and frequently occurring (frequency ≥3 winning study groups) practice elements.

Results

Our review included 36 studies containing 37 winning study groups. Fourteen practice elements were identified and subsequently divided into six categories: postpartum practical problems‐related, social support‐related, interpersonal psychotherapy‐related, cognitive behavioural therapy‐related, labour trauma‐related and non‐specific techniques. The most common practice elements were baby care skills and mother–infant bonding/interaction enhancement. Inter‐rater reliability averaged 0.86, ranging from 0.48 to 1.

Conclusion

The practice elements identified in this study provide rich evidence‐based information that can guide clinical practitioners in selecting or developing effective, realistically available intervention programmes.
SerpinA1 levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients: An exploratory study
Authors: Martinelli Ilaria , Zucchi Elisabetta , Simonini Cecilia , Gianferrari Giulia , Bedin Roberta , Biral Chiara , Ghezzi Andrea , Fini Nicola , Carra Serena , Mandrioli Jessica
Published: September 2023

Background

SerpinA1, a serine protease inhibitor, is involved in the modulation of microglial‐mediated inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. We explored SerpinA1 levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients to understand its potential role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Methods

SerpinA1, neurofilament light (NfL) and heavy (NfH) chain, and chitinase‐3‐like protein‐1 (CHI3L1) were determined in CSF and serum of ALS patients (n = 110) and healthy controls (n = 10) (automated next‐generation ELISA), and correlated with clinical parameters, after identifying three classes of progressors (fast, intermediate, slow). Biomarker levels were analyzed for diagnostic power and association with progression and survival.

Results

SerpinA1serum was significantly decreased in ALS (median: 1032 μg/mL) compared with controls (1343 μg/mL) (p = 0.02). SerpinA1CSF was elevated only in fast progressors (8.6 μg/mL) compared with slow (4.43 μg/mL, p = 0.01) and intermediate (4.42 μg/mL, p = 0.03) progressors. Moreover, SerpinA1CSF correlated with neurofilament and CHI3L1 levels in CSF. Contrarily to SerpinA1CSF, neurofilament and CHI3L1 concentrations in CSF correlated with measures of disease progression in ALS, while SerpinA1serum mildly related with time to generalization (rho = 0.20, p = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, the ratio between serum and CSF SerpinA1 (SerpinA1 ratio) and NfHCSF were independently associated with survival.

Conclusions

Higher SerpinA1CSF levels are found in fast progressors, suggesting SerpinA1 is a component of the neuroinflammatory mechanisms acting upon fast‐progressing forms of ALS. Both neurofilaments or CHI3L1CSF levels outperformed SerpinA1 at predicting disease progression rate in our cohort, and so the prognostic value of SerpinA1 alone as a measure remains inconclusive.
Called to Transformation
Authors: Pillay Jerry
Published: September 2023

Against the background of the document Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia, published in June 2022 by the World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance, this article argues for a comprehensive approach to diakonia in which community projects and programmes, education, and training should emphasize social justice, people's participation, and the role of people's movements and the need for networking between them. This approach also stresses that diakonia must go beyond mere service, charity, and relief and engage in radical transformation.
Using questionnaires as conversational tools to bolster the therapeutic alliance in family therapy practice
Authors: Rober Peter , Van Tricht Karine
Published: September 2023

In this clinical paper, the focus is on the use of questionnaires in family therapy practice. Psychotherapy research has indicated that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is the most robust predictor of therapeutic change. While the therapeutic relationship is even more important in family therapy than in individual therapy, it is also more complex. As will be illustrated in this paper, questionnaires can be useful in clinical practice to deal with the complex alliances in family therapy. In this paper, we will introduce two questionnaires: the Worries Questionnaire and the Dialogical Feedback Questionnaire. As illustrated in detailed case stories, we use these questionnaires in our practice as conversational tools rather than measuring instruments. They serve as the starting point for the therapist's reflection and for dialogues with family members.
Coenzyme‐binding pathway on glutamate dehydrogenase suggested from multiple‐binding sites visualized by cryo‐electron microscopy
Authors: Wakabayashi Taiki , Oide Mao , Kato Takayuki , Nakasako Masayoshi
Published: September 2023

The structure of hexameric glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) in the presence of the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) was visualized using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy to investigate the ligand‐binding pathways to the active site of the enzyme. Each subunit of GDH comprises one hexamer‐forming core domain and one nucleotide‐binding domain (NAD domain), which spontaneously opens and closes the active‐site cleft situated between the two domains. In the presence of NADP, the potential map of GDH hexamer, assuming D3 symmetry, was determined at a resolution of 2.4 Å, but the NAD domain was blurred due to the conformational variety. After focused classification with respect to the NAD domain, the potential maps interpreted as NADP molecules appeared at five different sites in the active‐site cleft. The subunits associated with NADP molecules were close to one of the four metastable conformations in the unliganded state. Three of the five binding sites suggested a pathway of NADP molecules to approach the active‐site cleft for initiating the enzymatic reaction. The other two binding modes may rarely appear in the presence of glutamate, as demonstrated by the reaction kinetics. Based on the visualized structures and the results from the enzymatic kinetics, we discussed the binding modes of NADP to GDH in the absence and presence of glutamate.
MEDIEVALISMS AND MEDIEVAL TIMES: CONFRONTING CHRONOPOLITICS WITH MEDIEVAL TEXTURES OF TIME
Authors: Skoda Hannah
Published: September 2023

This review essay examines Nadia R. Altschul's discussion of medievalism in nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century South America in Politics of Temporalization: Medievalism and Orientalism in Nineteenth‐Century South America. She explores a chronopolitics whereby the notion that late medieval Iberia lagged developmentally behind the rest of Europe sustained the claim that parts of South America were still medieval, even while capitalist modernity was established elsewhere. Her exploration of the instrumentalization of this trope for neocolonial and neoliberal purposes provokes my own exploration here of medieval ideas about time. Medieval people actually had very sophisticated ideas about time, and this complexity troubles the idea of a simplistic and dully repetitive medieval temporality on which the linear hierarchies of time analyzed and critiqued by Altschul rely. More than this, though, I suggest that medieval ideas of time provide us with alternative chronotopes in the sense of thinking through the relationships between time and space in very different ways; in turn, this might permit a different kind of chronopolitics. First, I explore the ways in which medieval people experienced and articulated multiple interwoven layers of time, de‐essentializing hierarchies of temporalities and puncturing the illusion that certain spaces should be associated with certain times. Second, I look at the ways in which time was not straightforwardly conceived of as linear in the Middle Ages and consider the ways in which this troubles ideas of periodization; a short discussion of nostalgia in different periods sustains this point. Third, I explore the ways in which ideas about time could be contested in the Middle Ages, challenging the idea that chronopolitics need just be a study of hegemonic attitudes.
Brushing behaviour changes and plaque removal with an electric toothbrush: A clinical trial
Authors: Adam Ralf , Zou Yuanshu , Grender Julie , Mesples Uta , Erb Jasmin , Bray Kimberly
Published: September 2023

Objective

To evaluate changes in toothbrushing behaviour and plaque removal performance with usage of a next generation oscillating‐rotating electric toothbrush (NG‐OR).

Methods

This exploratory clinical study had a two‐treatment, three‐period, single‐group, sequential design. Generally healthy adults with a screening whole mouth mean Turesky modified Quigley‐Hein Plaque Index (TQHPI) score of at least 1.75 on a 0–5 scale and who were primarily OR brush users were enrolled. Participants used each OR toothbrush in A‐B‐B order, where a currently marketed OR brush with a traditional mechanical drive system (T‐OR) was used in period A, and the NG‐OR brush with a linear magnetic drive was used in period B. At Visit 1, qualifying participants brushed on‐site with T‐OR. After a 48 h washout, participants returned for Visit 2 and brushed on‐site with NG‐OR. Participants then used NG‐OR for 1 week, twice daily, at home and returned for Visit 3 to brush on‐site with NG‐OR again. For all on‐site brushings, participants were instructed to brush for 2 min without interactive features. Each toothbrush was tagged with a transmitter chip connected to a Motion Tracking System to record movements of the toothbrush and participant using infrared light transmission to determine Isochronicity (brushing time uniformly distributed across the dentition). Plaque was measured using TQHPI. Primary variables were Isochronicity and TQHPl whole mouth mean plaque reduction (pre‐brushing minus post‐brushing).

Results

Overall, 41 participants enrolled and received treatment; 40 completed the trial. NG‐OR showed significantly greater Isochronicity after a single brushing (p = 0.043) and after a 1‐week at‐home use (p = 0.001) versus T‐OR. NG‐OR showed 41% greater whole mouth plaque removal than T‐OR (p < 0.001) after a single brushing. Plaque reduction by region/surface was consistent with whole mouth results.

Conclusion

The NG‐OR brush showed greater brushing uniformity and plaque removal versus the T‐OR brush.
Enterocin AS‐48 inhibits the growth of – and biofilm formation by – lactic acid bacteria responsible for the accumulation of biogenic amines in cheese
Authors: Sarquis Agustina , Villarreal Luis Alberto , Ladero Victor , Maqueda Mercedes , del Rio Beatriz , Alvarez Miguel A.
Published: September 2023

Cheese is a fermented food in which toxic concentrations of biogenic amines (BAs) may accumulate, mainly as a result of the metabolism of certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB); the formation of these compounds needs to be limited. This work reports the antimicrobial potential of bacteriocin AS‐48 against the LAB largely responsible for the accumulation of the BA histamine, tyramine and putrescine in cheese. Most of the 50 analysed BA‐producing LAB strains were sensitive to AS‐48. The bacteriocin also prevented biofilm formation of 92% of the BA‐producing strains tested. This result is of great technological importance since, in cheese production, biofilms are an important source of contamination by BA‐producing LAB. This study supports the potential use of AS‐48 as a biopreservative for controlling BA‐producing LAB in fermented food.
The texture factor: food product development for discrete populations including orally compromised elderly consumers and children with Down syndrome
Authors: Ross Carolyn F.
Published: September 2023

In the development of food products with optimised nutritional and sensory properties, the emphasis is often placed on the nutrient content of the food rather than the texture of the food. The objective of this short opinion piece is to argue that texture should be considered an integral property of a personalised food, considering two case studies. The first case study profiles older adults, a broad group who often experience an unwanted decrease in food texture variety in their diets, with associated negative health outcomes. The second case study examines children with Down syndrome who confront the task of expanding their food texture repertoire to allow for a healthy eating future but face challenges in texture handling due to delays in oral processing development. Following an overview of the texture challenges facing each of these groups, the importance of extending research to partner with the food industry to develop food products with desired texture properties and appropriate food structure is presented.
Influence of extruded whole wheat flour addition on quality characteristics of pasta
Authors: Kaur Harmandeep , Bobade Hanuman , Sharma Rajan , Sharma Savita
Published: September 2023

This work aimed to develop the whole wheat (common) flour pasta by incorporation of whole wheat flour modified by extrusion process at various percentages and assess the effect of modified extruded whole wheat flour (EWWF) on quality characteristics of pasta. The whole wheat flour was modified by extruding it at 15% feed moisture, 148 °C extrusion temperature and 434 rpm screw speed through a twin screw extruder. The modified EWWF was added to the whole wheat flour at a 10%–40% substitution level with whole wheat flour for the preparation of pasta and its quality was compared against the semolina pasta and pasta prepared from whole wheat flour. The study characterized the functional, antioxidant properties, in vitro starch and protein digestibility, cooking parameters and colour properties of the EWWF pasta. Extrusion increased the water absorption, water solubility and oil absorption characteristics of EWWF. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of pasta (0%—40%) ranged from 170.07 to 146.04 mg GAE/100 g and 156.00 to 137.60 mg CE/100 g, respectively, compared to the semolina pasta. The antioxidant properties of the EWWF pasta decreased after the incorporation of extruded flour. The pasta prepared with the incorporation of 40% EWWF showed the best cooking properties. The colour of EWWF pasta turned darker compared to semolina pasta. The pasta prepared with the use of EWWF could be utilized as a healthy alternative to the existing pasta in India.