bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emotional overeating affected nine in ten female students during the COVID-19 university closure: A cross-sectional study in France
Authors: Constant Aymery , Fortier Alexandra , Serrand Yann , Bannier Elise , Moirand Romain , Thibault Ronan , Coquery Nicolas , Godet Ambre , Val-Laillet David
Published: August 2023

Objectives

To estimate the proportion of female university students reporting overeating (EO) in response to emotions during the COVID-19 university closures, and to investigate social and psychological factors associated with this response to stress.

Design

Online survey gathered sociodemographic data, alcohol/drugs use disorders, boredom proneness and impulsivity using validated questionnaires, and EO using the Emotional Overeating Questionnaire (EOQ) assessing eating in response to six emotions (anxiety, sadness, loneliness, anger, fatigue, happiness), whose structure remains to be determined.

Participants

Sample of 302 female students from Rennes University, France.

Main outcome measure

Frequencies of emotional overeating.

Analysis

The frequency of emotional overeating was expressed for each emotion as percentages. Exploratory Factor analyses (EFA) were used to determine EOQ structure and provide an index of all EOQ items used for further analysis. Linear regression models were used to explore relationships between EO and others covariates.

Results

Nine in ten participants reported intermittent EO in the last 28 days, mostly during 6 to 12 days, in response to Anxiety (75.5%), Sadness (64.5%), Happiness (59.9%), Loneliness (57.9%), Tiredness (51.7%), and to a lesser extent to Anger (31.1%). EFA evidenced a one-factor latent variable reflecting “Distress-Induced Overeating” positively correlated with internal boredom proneness, tobacco use, attentional impulsivity, inability to resist emotional cues, and loss of control over food intake, and negatively with age and well-being. EO was unrelated to body mass index or substance abuse.

Conclusion and implications

Nine in ten female students reported emotional overeating during the COVID-19 university closure. This response to stress was related to eating tendencies typical of young women, but also to personality/behavioral patterns such as boredom and impulsivity proneness. Better understanding of the mechanisms underlying EO in response to stress and lack of external/social stimulation would improve preventive interventions.
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawn survival and the influence of landscape characteristics on fawn predation risk in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA
Authors: Edge Adam C. , Rosenberger Jacalyn P. , Yates Cheyenne J. , Little Andrew R. , Killmaster Charlie H. , Johannsen Kristina L. , Osborn David A. , Kilgo John C. , Miller Karl V. , D’Angelo Gino J.
Published: August 2023

In the Southern Appalachian region of the United States, harvest data has indicated the occurrence of low deer densities while exposing a trend of declining white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations over the past several decades in northern Georgia. A triumvirate of increasing fawn predator populations reside in the Southern Appalachian Mountains including coyotes (Canis latrans), black bears (Ursus americanus) and bobcats (Lynx rufus). This region is also characterized by a homogenous landscape composed of mature forests and sparse understory vegetation, likely lacking adequate cover to offer fawns refugia from predators. Our objectives were to estimate survival and cause-specific mortality rates of fawns while assessing a possible link between mortality risk, intrinsic fawn characteristics (i.e., birth mass, Julian birth date, sibling status), and landscape features within fawn usage areas. During 2018–2020, we radio-collared 71 fawns within the Chattahoochee National Forest of northern Georgia, USA and monitored survival to 12 weeks of age. We observed low fawn survival (cumulative = 0.157, 95% CI = 0.091–0.273; vaginal implant transmitter = 0.196, 95% CI = 0.096–0.403) with predation as the leading cause of all known mortalities (45 of 55 mortalities; 82%) due primarily to coyotes (n= 22), black bears (n= 12), and bobcats (n= 7). Relationships between landscape features and fawn predation risk were minimal with only one informative covariate. Increasing amounts of early successional land cover within fawn usage areas decreased fawn mortality risk within the first 20 days of life, but elevated mortality risk thereafter. All fawns with any amount of early successional land cover in their usage areas died of predation (n= 13) at various time intervals, suggesting limited areas of potential fawning cover may be targeted by predators. However, fawn predation risk seemed to be high regardless of landscape covariates due to the limited number of surviving fawns. Coyote-caused mortality occurred over a longer period at a consistently higher magnitude than all other forms of mortality, indicating possible delayed prey-switching behavior and coyote predation as an important factor of fawn survival. The low recruitment of fawns influenced by high predation rates and homogenous habitat conditions is likely the cause of deer population declines in the region.
Nudging accurate scientific communication
Authors: Allard Aurélien , Clavien Christine
Published: August 2023

The recent replicability crisis in social and biomedical sciences has highlighted the need for improvement in the honest transmission of scientific content. We present the results of two studies investigating whether nudges and soft social incentives enhance participants’ readiness to transmit high-quality scientific news. In two online randomized experiments (Total N = 2425), participants had to imagine that they were science journalists who had to select scientific studies to report in their next article. They had to choose between studies reporting opposite results (for instance, confirming versus not confirming the effect of a treatment) and varying in traditional signs of research credibility (large versus small sample sizes, randomized versus non-randomized designs). In order to steer participants’ choices towards or against the trustworthy transmission of science, we used several soft framing nudges and social incentives. Overall, we find that, although participants show a strong preference for studies using high-sample sizes and randomized design, they are biased towards positive results, and express a preference for results in line with previous intuitions (evincing confirmation bias). Our soft framing nudges and social incentives did not help to counteract these biases. On the contrary, the social incentives against honest transmission of scientific content mildly exacerbated the expression of these biases.
Modified rice bran arabinoxylan as a nutraceutical in health and disease—A scoping review with bibliometric analysis
Authors: Ooi Soo Liang , Micalos Peter S. , Pak Sok Cheon
Published: August 2023

Rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) is a polysaccharide modified by Lentinus edodes mycelial enzyme widely used as a nutraceutical. To explore translational research on RBAC, a scoping review was conducted to synthesise research evidence from English (MEDLINE, ProQuest, CENTRAL, Emcare, CINAHL+, Web of Science), Japanese (CiNii, J-Stage), Korean (KCI, RISS, ScienceON), and Chinese (CNKI, Wanfang) sources while combining bibliometrics and network analyses for data visualisation. Searches were conducted between September and October 2022. Ninety-eight articles on RBAC and the biological activities related to human health or disease were included. Research progressed with linear growth (median = 3/year) from 1998 to 2022, predominantly on Biobran MGN-3 (86.73%) and contributed by 289 authors from 100 institutions across 18 countries. Clinical studies constitute 61.1% of recent articles (2018 to 2022). Over 50% of the research was from the USA (29/98, 29.59%) and Japan (22/98, 22.45%). A shifting focus from immuno-cellular activities to human translations over the years was shown via keyword visualisation. Beneficial effects of RBAC include immunomodulation, synergistic anticancer properties, hepatoprotection, antiinflammation, and antioxidation. As an oral supplement taken as an adjuvant during chemoradiotherapy, cancer patients reported reduced side effects and improved quality of life in human studies, indicating RBAC’s impact on the psycho-neuro-immune axis. RBAC has been studied in 17 conditions, including cancer, liver diseases, HIV, allergy, chronic fatigue, gastroenteritis, cold/flu, diabetes, and in healthy participants. Further translational research on the impact on patient and community health is required for the evidence-informed use of RBAC in health and disease.
HPOSS: A hierarchical portfolio optimization stacking strategy to reduce the generalization error of ensembles of models
Authors: Ozelim Luan Carlos de Sena Monteiro , Ribeiro Dimas Betioli , Schiavon José Antonio , Domingues Vinicius Resende , Queiroz Paulo Ivo Braga de
Published: August 2023

Surrogate models are frequently used to replace costly engineering simulations. A single surrogate is frequently chosen based on previous experience or by fitting multiple surrogates and selecting one based on mean cross-validation errors. A novel stacking strategy will be presented in this paper. This new strategy results from reinterpreting the model selection process based on the generalization error. For the first time, this problem is proposed to be translated into a well-studied financial problem: portfolio management and optimization. In short, it is demonstrated that the individual residues calculated by leave-one-out procedures are samples from a given random variableϵi, whose second non-central moment is thei-th model’s generalization error. Thus, a stacking methodology based solely on evaluating the behavior of the linear combination of the random variablesϵiis proposed. At first, several surrogate models are calibrated. The Directed Bubble Hierarchical Tree (DBHT) clustering algorithm is then used to determine which models are worth stacking. The stacking weights can be calculated using any financial approach to the portfolio optimization problem. This alternative understanding of the problem enables practitioners to use established financial methodologies to calculate the models’ weights, significantly improving the ensemble of models’ out-of-sample performance. A study case is carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the new methodology. Overall, a total of 124 models were trained using a specific dataset: 40 Machine Learning models and 84 Polynomial Chaos Expansion models (which considered 3 types of base random variables, 7 least square algorithms for fitting the up to fourth order expansion’s coefficients). Among those, 99 models could be fitted without convergence and other numerical issues. The DBHT algorithm with Pearson correlation distance and generalization error similarity was able to select a subgroup of 23 models from the 99 fitted ones, implying a reduction of about 77% in the total number of models, representing a good filtering scheme which still preserves diversity. Finally, it has been demonstrated that the weights obtained by building a Hierarchical Risk Parity (HPR) portfolio perform better for various input random variables, indicating better out-of-sample performance. In this way, an economic stacking strategy has demonstrated its worth in improving the out-of-sample capabilities of stacked models, which illustrates how the new understanding of model stacking methodologies may be useful.
Morphological and molecular diversity in mid-late and late maturity genotypes of cauliflower
Authors: Rana Neha , Sharma Akhilesh , Rana Ranbir Singh , Lata Hem , Bansuli  , Thakur Alisha , Singh Vivek , Sood Aditya
Published: August 2023

Genetic diversity is the prerequisite for the success of crop improvement programmes. Keeping in view, the current investigation was undertaken to assess the agro-morphological and molecular diversity involving 36 diverse mid-late and late cauliflower genotypes following α-RBD design during winter season 2021–22. Six morphological descriptors predicted as polymorphic using Shannon diversity index with maximum for leaf margin (0.94). The genotypes grouped into nine clusters based on D2 analysis with four as monogenotypic and gross plant weight (32.38%) revealed maximum contribution towards the genetic diversity. Molecular diversity analysis revealed 2–7 alleles among 36 polymorphic simple sequence repeats (SSR) with average of 4.22. Primer BoESSR492 (0.77) showed maximum polymorphic information content (PIC) with mean of 0.58. SSR analysis revealed two clusters each with two subclusters with a composite pattern of genotype distribution. STRUCTURE analysis showed homogenous mixture with least amount of gene pool introgression within the genotypes. Thus, based on morphological and molecular studies, the diverse genotypes namely, DPCaCMS-1, DPCaf-W4, DPCaf-US, DPCaf-W131W, DPCaf-S121, DPCaf-18, DPCaf-13, DPCaf-29 and DPCaf-CMS5 can be utilized in hybridization to isolate potential transgressive segregants to broaden the genetic base of cauliflower or involve them to exploit heterosis.
Country-level institutional quality and financial system efficiency: An international evidence
Authors: Khan Mohammed Arshad , Khan Muhammad Atif , Khan Muhammad Asif , Haddad Hossam , Al-Ramahi Nidal Mahmoud , Sherfudeen Noorjahan
Published: August 2023

The optimum economic outcome of financial system development depends on its level of efficiency. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of institutional quality on financial system efficiency. For empirical analysis, we have used a panel dataset of 108 countries from 1996–2020 and employed fixed effect regression and two stages least squares (2SLS) regression methods. The empirical results show that institutional quality has a significant positive effect on financial system efficiency. Particularly all the constituting elements—voice and accountability, political stability and absence of violence, regulatory quality, government effectiveness, rule of law, and control of corruption—of institutional quality are found to have a significant positive impact on financial system efficiency. Moreover, we found that the effect of institutional quality is more pronounced in countries with low-income levels and strong institutional quality. These findings are robust across several robustness tests conducted using additional controls, alternative methodologies, an alternative measure of institutional quality, and financial system efficiency. The results of the study suggest that policy makers should prioritize both enhancing and sustaining institutional quality to promote the efficiency of the financial system, which is crucial for sustainable growth and development.
Malting—A method for modifying volatile composition of black, brown and green lentil seeds
Authors: Gasiński Alan , Kawa-Rygielska Joanna
Published: September 2023

Technique of malting legume seeds is not currently widespread among scientists as well as industrial maltsters. However, this method of seed modification is successfully used by humankind for millennia to improve technological parameters, as well as change taste and aroma of various food products. Three lentil cultivars (black, brown and green) were malted (steeped, germinated for three various time periods and then kilned) to produce nine lentil malts. Malting had significant influence on the volatile composition of lentil seeds. Total concentration of volatiles in the green lentils increased and decreased in the case of black and brown lentils after malting procedure. However, most importantly, in every lentil cultivar the contribution of various groups of compounds (such as aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes or ketones) to the overall volatilome was changed due to the malting procedure.
Is there an association between intimate partner violence and the prevalence of cervical cancer screening in Jordan?
Authors: Urquhart Grace , Maclennan Sara J. , Guntupalli Aravinda Meera
Published: August 2023

Background

Major health inequalities exist surrounding the utilisation of cervical cancer screening services globally. Jordan, a low- and middle-income country, has poor screening rates (15.8%), with barriers to accessing services, including lack of education. Emerging studies demonstrate that intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts reproductive health decisions. As a large proportion of Jordanian women have reported experiencing IPV, this study examines the association between IPV and cervical cancer screening in Jordan, the first of its kind using national-level data.

Methods

Using Jordan’s Demographic Health Survey 2017–18, cervical cancer screening awareness and self-reported screening were estimated in participants who answered questions on IPV (n = 6679). After applying sample weights, Heckman’s two-stage probit model determined the association of awareness and utilisation of cervical cancer screening with experience of IPV, adjusting for the socio-economic factors.

Results

Of the women with privacy to answer the IPV module, 180 (3.4%) were found to be victims of sexual violence, 691 of physical violence (12.6%) and 935 (16.2%) of emotional violence. Women subjected to sexual violence were less likely to admit to having awareness of a Pap smear test; however, this did not impact screening rates. Victims of emotional violence were more likely to be screened than non-victims. No association between physical violence and cervical cancer screening was found.

Conclusions

A significant association between cervical screening awareness and IPV demonstrates that cancer screening policies must consider IPV among women to improve screening awareness. The paper further sheds light on the paradoxical association between emotional violence and screening. It is acknowledged this situation may be far worse than reported, as women without autonomy were unlikely to answer IPV questions that may endanger them—targeted surveys on cervical cancer screening warrant further investigation.
Using individual-based bioenergetic models to predict the aggregate effects of disturbance on populations: A case study with beaked whales and Navy sonar
Authors: Hin Vincent , de Roos André M. , Benoit-Bird Kelly J. , Claridge Diane E. , DiMarzio Nancy , Durban John W. , Falcone Erin A. , Jacobson Eiren K. , Jones-Todd Charlotte M. , Pirotta Enrico , Schorr Gregory S. , Thomas Len , Watwood Stephanie , Harwood John
Published: August 2023

Anthropogenic activities can lead to changes in animal behavior. Predicting population consequences of these behavioral changes requires integrating short-term individual responses into models that forecast population dynamics across multiple generations. This is especially challenging for long-lived animals, because of the different time scales involved. Beaked whales are a group of deep-diving odontocete whales that respond behaviorally when exposed to military mid-frequency active sonar (MFAS), but the effect of these nonlethal responses on beaked whale populations is unknown. Population consequences of aggregate exposure to MFAS was assessed for two beaked whale populations that are regularly present on U.S. Navy training ranges where MFAS is frequently used. Our approach integrates a wide range of data sources, including telemetry data, information on spatial variation in habitat quality, passive acoustic data on the temporal pattern of sonar use and its relationship to beaked whale foraging activity, into an individual-based model with a dynamic bioenergetic module that governs individual life history. The predicted effect of disturbance from MFAS on population abundance ranged between population extinction to a slight increase in population abundance. These effects were driven by the interaction between the temporal pattern of MFAS use, baseline movement patterns, the spatial distribution of prey, the nature of beaked whale behavioral response to MFAS and the top-down impact of whale foraging on prey abundance. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for monitoring of marine mammal populations and highlight key uncertainties to help guide future directions for assessing population impacts of nonlethal disturbance for these and other long-lived animals.
Biochemical evidence that the whole compartment activity behavior of GAPDH differs between the cytoplasm and nucleus
Authors: Tang Helen S. , Gates Chelsea R. , Schultz Michael C.
Published: August 2023

Some metabolic enzymes normally occur in the nucleus and cytoplasm. These compartments differ in molecular composition. Since post-translational modification and interaction with allosteric effectors can tune enzyme activity, it follows that the behavior of an enzyme as a catalyst may differ between the cytoplasm and nucleus. We explored this possibility for the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Homogenates of pristine nuclei and cytoplasms isolated from Xenopus laevis oocytes were used for whole compartment activity profiling in a near-physiological buffer. Titrations of NAD+ revealed similar whole compartment activity profiles for GAPDH in nuclear and cytoplasmic homogenates. Surprisingly however GAPDH in these compartments did not have the same behavior in assays of the dependence of initial velocity (v0) on G3P concentration. First, the peak v0 for nuclear GAPDH was up to 2.5-fold higher than the peak for cytoplasmic GAPDH. Second, while Michaelis Menten-like behavior was observed in all assays of cytoplasm, the v0 versus [G3P] plots for nuclear GAPDH typically exhibited a non-Michaelis Menten (sigmoidal) profile. Apparent Km and Vmax (G3P) values for nuclear GAPDH activity were highly variable, even between replicates of the same sample. Possible sources of this variability include in vitro processing of a metabolite that allosterically regulates GAPDH, turnover of a post-translational modification of the enzyme, and fluctuation of the state of interaction of GAPDH with other proteins. Collectively these findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the environment of the nucleus is distinct from the environment of the cytoplasm with regard to GAPDH activity and its modulation. This finding warrants further comparison of the regulation of nuclear and cytoplasmic GAPDH, as well as whole compartment activity profiling of other enzymes of metabolism with cytosolic and nuclear pools.
Multimorbidity patterns in COVID-19 patients and their relationship with infection severity: MRisk-COVID study
Authors: Lleal Marina , Corral-Vazquez Celia , Baré Montserrat , Comet Ricard , Herranz Susana , Baigorri Francisco , Gimeno-Miguel Antonio , Raurich Maria , Fortià Cristina , Navarro Marta , Poblador-Plou Beatriz , Baré Marisa
Published: August 2023

Background

Several chronic conditions have been identified as risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection, yet the implications of multimorbidity need to be explored. The objective of this study was to establish multimorbidity clusters from a cohort of COVID-19 patients and assess their relationship with infection severity/mortality.

Methods

The MRisk-COVID Big Data study included 14 286 COVID-19 patients of the first wave in a Spanish region. The cohort was stratified by age and sex. Multimorbid individuals were subjected to a fuzzy c-means cluster analysis in order to identify multimorbidity clusters within each stratum. Bivariate analyses were performed to assess the relationship between severity/mortality and age, sex, and multimorbidity clusters.

Results

Severe infection was reported in 9.5% (95% CI: 9.0–9.9) of the patients, and death occurred in 3.9% (95% CI: 3.6–4.2). We identified multimorbidity clusters related to severity/mortality in most age groups from 21 to 65 years. In males, the cluster with highest percentage of severity/mortality was Heart-liver-gastrointestinal (81–90 years, 34.1% severity, 29.5% mortality). In females, the clusters with the highest percentage of severity/mortality were Diabetes-cardiovascular (81–95 years, 22.5% severity) and Psychogeriatric (81–95 years, 16.0% mortality).

Conclusion

This study characterized several multimorbidity clusters in COVID-19 patients based on sex and age, some of which were found to be associated with higher rates of infection severity/mortality, particularly in younger individuals. Further research is encouraged to ascertain the role of specific multimorbidity patterns on infection prognosis and identify the most vulnerable morbidity profiles in the community.

Trial registration

NCT04981249. Registered 4 August 2021 (retrospectively registered).
Detailed characterization of Redondovirus in saliva of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Charlys da Costa Antonio , Mendes-Correa Maria C. , Tozetto-Mendoza Tania Regina , Villas-Boas Lucy S. , de Paula Anderson Vicente , Paiao Heuder Gustavo Oliveira , Leal Fabio E. , Ferreira Noely E. , Honorato Layla , Leal Elcio , Grandi Giuliano , dos Santos Morais Vanessa , Manuli Erika R. , Sabino Ester C. , Witkin Steven S.
Published: August 2023

Background

Redondovirus (ReDoV) is a DNA virus present in the respiratory tract of many healthy individuals. Since SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, also primarily infects the same site, we evaluated whether ReDoV was present at increased frequency in patients with COVID-19 and influenced infection parameters.

Methods

Saliva samples were collected weekly from 59 individuals with COVID-19 and from 132 controls. ReDoV was detected by polymerase chain reaction and the genotypes were identified by metagenomics. Torque Teno Virus (TTV) in these samples were previously reported.

Results

ReDoV was detected in saliva more frequently from COVID-19 patients (72.9%) than from controls (50.0%) (p = 0.0015). There were no associations between ReDoV detection and either continuous or intermittent SARS-CoV-2 shedding, the duration of SARS-CoV-2 detection in saliva, patients’ sex or if infection was by the B1 or Gamma strain. The two ReDoV strains, Brisavirus and Vientovirus, were present in equivalent frequencies in ReDoV-positive COVID-19 patients and controls. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the two ReDoV strains in Brazil were similar to strains previously detected on other continents.

Conclusion

ReDoV expression in saliva is increased in males and females in Brazil with mild COVID-19 but its presence does not appear to influence properties of the SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Lenticels are sites of initiation of microcracking and russeting in ‘Apple’ mango
Authors: Athoo Thomas O. , Winkler Andreas , Owino Willis O. , Knoche Moritz
Published: September 2023

The mango cultivar ‘Apple’ is an important fruitcrop in Kenya, but it is highly susceptible to russeting. The objective was to establish whether lenticels predispose cv. ‘Apple’ mango to russeting. Fruit mass and surface area increased in a sigmoidal pattern with time. The frequency of lenticels per unit surface area decreased during development. The number of lenticels per fruit was constant. Lenticels were most frequent in the apex region and least common in the cheek and nak (ventral) regions. The cheek region also had lenticels with the largest core areas, whereas the lenticel core areas in the apex region were significantly smaller. Microscopy revealed stomata became covered over with wax deposits at 33 days after full bloom (DAFB). By 78 DAFB, periderm had formed beneath the pore. At 110 and 161 DAFB, cracks had developed and the periderm had extended tangentially and radially. The presence of lenticels increased the strain released upon excision of an epidermal segment, further strain releases occurred subsequently upon isolation of the cuticle and on extraction of the cuticular waxes. The number of lenticels per unit surface area was negatively correlated with the fruit surface area (r2 = 0.62 **), but not affected by fruit size. Mango cv. ‘Apple’ had fewer, larger lenticels and more russet, compared with ‘Ngowe’, ‘Kitovu’ or ‘Tommy Atkins’ mango. In cv. ‘Apple’, the lowest lenticel frequency, the largest lenticels and the most russeting occurred at a growing site at the highest altitude, with the highest rainfall and the lowest temperature. Moisture exposure of the fruit surface resulted in enlarged lenticels and more microcracking of the cuticle. Our results establish that russeting in ‘Apple’ mango is initiated at lenticels and is exacerbated if lenticels are exposed to moisture.
Whole genome sequencing of human Borrelia burgdorferi isolates reveals linked blocks of accessory genome elements located on plasmids and associated with human dissemination
Authors: Lemieux Jacob E. , Huang Weihua , Hill Nathan , Cerar Tjasa , Freimark Lisa , Hernandez Sergio , Luban Matteo , Maraspin Vera , Bogovič Petra , Ogrinc Katarina , Ruzič-Sabljič Eva , Lapierre Pascal , Lasek-Nesselquist Erica , Singh Navjot , Iyer Radha , Liveris Dionysios , Reed Kurt D. , Leong John M. , Branda John A. , Steere Allen C. , Wormser Gary P. , Strle Franc , Sabeti Pardis C. , Schwartz Ira , Strle Klemen
Published: August 2023

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in North America and Europe. The clinical manifestations of Lyme disease vary based on the genospecies of the infectingBorrelia burgdorferispirochete, but the microbial genetic elements underlying these associations are not known. Here, we report the whole genome sequence (WGS) and analysis of 299B.burgdorferi(Bb) isolates derived from patients in the Eastern and Midwestern US and Central Europe. We develop a WGS-based classification ofBbisolates, confirm and extend the findings of previous single- and multi-locus typing systems, define the plasmid profiles of human-infectiousBbisolates, annotate the core and strain-variable surface lipoproteome, and identify loci associated with disseminated infection. A core genome consisting of ~900 open reading frames and a core set of plasmids consisting of lp17, lp25, lp36, lp28-3, lp28-4, lp54, and cp26 are found in nearly all isolates. Strain-variable (accessory) plasmids and genes correlate strongly with phylogeny. Using genetic association study methods, we identify an accessory genome signature associated with dissemination in humans and define the individual plasmids and genes that make up this signature. Strains within the RST1/WGS A subgroup, particularly a subset marked by the OspC type A genotype, have increased rates of dissemination in humans. OspC type A strains possess a unique set of strongly linked genetic elements including the presence of lp56 and lp28-1 plasmids and a cluster of genes that may contribute to their enhanced virulence compared to other genotypes. These features of OspC type A strains reflect a broader paradigm acrossBbisolates, in which near-clonal genotypes are defined by strain-specific clusters of linked genetic elements, particularly those encoding surface-exposed lipoproteins. These clusters of genes are maintained by strain-specific patterns of plasmid occupancy and are associated with the probability of invasive infection.
Yang Zhichao’s performance art at the margins: Within the Fourth Ring Road (1999) and the Chinese contemporary
Authors: Strafella Giorgio , Berg Daria
Published: September 2023

This article explores the theme of marginality in the art of Yang Zhichao, a critically and socially engaged experimental artist who has been active in China since the mid-1980s. Yang’s oeuvre – which includes performance artworks, drawings and installations – revolves around the issue of sociocultural marginality in reform-era society, from the condition of migrant workers, beggars and psychiatric patients to the borderlands of Chinese civilization and the condition of the avant-garde artist. Drawing also on Chinese art criticism and two interviews with the artist, this study examines in particular the performance Within the Fourth Ring Road (1999) through its photographic and literary documentation. While writing on Yang Zhichao’s art has largely focused on his most extreme performances of ‘body art’ such as Planting Grass (2000), the artwork at the centre of this study highlights an anti-spectacular approach to performance art and reflects Yang’s stated belief in the importance of placing oneself in the circumstances of marginalized people in order to move beyond a voyeuristic gaze. Through a critical analysis of said approach the article reveals a quality that pervades Yang Zhichao’s multi-disciplinary artistic career – that is, its ‘contemporariness’, in Giorgio Agamben’s sense as a focus on the darkest, most emblematic aspects of one’s society and time.
He Yunchang’s artistic practice: A beam of light into the future
Authors: Manonelles Moner Laia
Published: September 2023

This article explores the work of He Yunchang (Yunnan, 1967), an artist who brings together lived and artistic experience to reflect on the conflicts of contemporary society. He makes use of his body to transcend physical and psychic boundaries, and by embodying structural violence he pushes sociopolitical frameworks to imagine and project a better future. Focusing on a selection of his performances, undertaken between 1999 and the present day, this article explores He Yunchang’s desire to open a utopian path by means of artistic creation. I suggest that his work demonstrates that nothing is impossible. He Yunchang undertakes titanic ritualistic performances, both metaphorical and physical. These evoke ancient myths, legends and ascetic practices and show the potential of all individuals and communities to improve our world. He Yunchang explores the butterfly effect and situates art in a sociopolitical context, making manifest its capacity to beam light into the future. This article analyses the artist’s exploration of subject’s capacities to change a dystopic reality.
Being outdoorsy indoors: Nature connectedness through 360-degree images and video
Authors: Troy Cassandra L. C. , Skurka Chris
Published: September 2023

Nature connectedness could be an important motivator for addressing environmental issues via pro-environmental behaviour. While people can connect with nature by spending time outdoors in natural settings, such places are not always accessible. Mediated portrayals of nature offer a promising alternative for connecting with nature. Media that evoke high levels of vividness and spatial presence may be particularly effective. This study uses an online experiment with a 3 (setting: coral reef vs. forest vs. urban) × 3 (media format: 360-degree image vs. 360-degree video vs. traditional video) between-subject design to examine the effects of media type and setting on vividness, presence, nature connectedness and public and private pro-environmental behaviour intentions. Vividness, presence and nature connectedness mediated the relationship between 360-degree images and intentions to engage in public behaviours. Additionally, scenery type was a more substantial contributor to nature connectedness than media format.
Under pressure: Keeping cables dry in south Louisiana
Authors: Liu Jen
Published: September 2023

Climate change is impacting the maintenance and repair of last-mile internet connections. In this case study, I describe how telecommunication workers based in south Louisiana maintain ageing digital infrastructures that require cable pressurization, a method used to keep buried wires dry. This work is becoming more difficult due to stronger and more frequent hurricanes, an effect of climate change that is tied to this region’s history with extractive industries. Additionally, this maintenance work can come at the cost of being able to update these ageing infrastructures. I argue that maintaining infrastructures in this context is to keep artefacts functioning within an unstable landscape. Ensuring that internet services continue against the backdrop of climate change requires shifts in considering how networks are embedded in specific geographies in relational and material ways.
Development of Suspended Sediment Monitoring of the Tisza Using an Indirect Measurement Method
Authors: Tóth Péter
Published: September 2023

The Tisza River experienced successive flood peaks between 1998 and 2010. The reasons of the increased flood height are various, one of them is overbank floodplain accumulation. The aim of the present study is to apply and test an alternative sediment measurement method to evaluate the sediment transport of the Tisza River, Hungary. The new method could help practitioners to better understand the fluvial processes. A significant problem with the current sediment measurement practice is that it does not consider or just to a limited extent, the hydrological conditions of a river. The data measured at the turbidity measuring station installed in the Middle Tisza at Szolnok are evaluated to determine whether or not this measurement procedure can be applied for the highly various sediment transport conditions of the Tisza. In measurement campaigns and based on continuous data from the turbidity measuring probe, a close relationship between near-bank turbidity and suspended sediment concentration was established. The suspended sediment concentrations calculated from the near-bank turbidity were compared with the results of suspended sediment yield from a few cross-section measurements. The results are encouraging; despite the limited number of measurements, the relationship between the parameters is close. In order to make the method more precise, additional series of measurements are needed, which also cover the high water range.
Pediatric Foreign Body Ingestion - Expectations and Outcomes
Authors: Khawaja Bilal Waheed  , Muneera Abdulhameed Albassam  , Shayma Abdullah Aloumi  , Afnan Abdullah Alshehri  , Sarah Abdulaziz Almoaibed  , Zechariah Jebakumar Arulanantham
Published: August 2023

BACKGROUND

Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and homeschooling during the COVID-19 period contributed to an increased number of foreign bodies being swallowed by children. This single-center study was initiated to determine the incidence of foreign body ingestion in the pediatric age group during the 2-year period of COVID-19 and compare it with an earlier 3-year period in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Medical records and abdominal radiographs of children under 14 were reviewed for the history of foreign body ingestion. The frequency of foreign body ingestion, size, shape, type, and outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic was compared with similar events in the 3 years before the COVID-19 pandemic from November 2016 to November 2019.

RESULTS

Of the n = 161 records, n = 86 cases were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, and n = 75 in the pre-pandemic period. Most of the ingested foreign bodies were less than 2 cm in size (57.8%), with the prevalence of non-metallic objects (87.6%) and the outcome being spontaneous expulsion (83.2%). There was a significant association between spontaneous expulsion cases and the size of the objects (p = 0.001), number of objects (p = 0.0005), and shape (p = 0.01). An analysis of demographic data showed that more boys than girls were registered, with a predominance of children under the age of five.

CONCLUSIONS

Treating children who have swallowed foreign bodies require a multi-professional approach with the participation of physicians, nurses, poison control specialists, radiologic technologists, ambulance personnel, and others to provide continuous, child-friendly care and follow-up. Parents and caregivers should be aware of how to keep children away from small items that can be harmful if swallowed, especially coins, disc batteries, small magnets, and other high-risk items.
Growth factors and their receptors in neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers of different durations
Authors: Komelyagina E. Y. , Antsiferov M. B. , Kogan E. A. , Zharkov N. V.
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND. Growth factors play a leading role in wound healing. Their deficiency in diabetic foot syndrome has been demonstrated in experimental studies, most of them performed on acute wounds. At the same time, currently the effectiveness of local therapy with growth factors of this category of patients, as well as indications and contraindications to it are contradictory and are a subject for discussion. There is no data on the content of growth factors in diabetic foot ulcers of various durations. Meanwhile, the results obtained will help to expand the understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the course and outcomes of diabetic foot ulcers at different stages of healing.

AIM: To evaluate the level of growth factors and their receptors in non-healing neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers of different duration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. 89 samples of neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers were examined. Immunohistochemical analysis of biopsies was performed using antibodies to the following growth factors and their receptors: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF). Depending on the duration of the wound, the biopsies were divided into 3 groups: group 1 — ≤ 90 days, group 2 — 91-365 days, group 3 — > 365 days.

RESULTS. In the samples of wounds, the duration of which did not exceed 90 days, the expression of growth factors and receptors to them was significantly higher than in wounds of longer duration (p=0.0001). There was no significant difference in quantitative indicators of the expression of growth factors and their receptors between wounds lasting from 91 to 365 days and more than 365 days. According to the data of correlation analysis, the expression of VEGF, IGF, EGF and their receptors has a significant negative dependence on the duration of the wound (p= 0.0001).

CONCLUSION. In diabetic foot ulcers lasting less than 90 days, the expression of growth factors such as VEGF, IGF, EGF and their receptors is significantly higher than in wounds of longer duration. The dependence of the expression of growth factors on the duration of the ulcer was revealed. The data obtained may explain the differences in the outcomes of chronic wounds and the absence in some cases of the effect of local therapy with growth factors.
Organization of outpatient care for patients with diabetes mellitus in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic using telemedicine technologies
Authors: Chichkova V. V. , Shapovalova M. A. , Chichkova M. A. , Antsiferov M. B.
Published: September 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on global health and showed that the current state of most health systems in the world was not ready for such an emergency. During the pandemic, the provision of specialized planned medical care to patients with chronic diseases was suspended, and therefore telemedicine technologies for remote monitoring of patients began to be actively used in many countries of the world. In the Russian Federation, leading experts have issued organizational and methodological recommendations for the management of patients with diabetes and other chronic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures taken by the government to provide medicines and prevent COVID-19 infection have allowed many patients with diabetes to observe a self-isolation regime. Meanwhile, there are data on the negative impact of self-isolation on the general condition of patients for various reasons: a decrease in the level of self-control and physical activity, a reduction in the volume of planned specialized medical care. Telemedicine technologies in the Russian Federation have been successfully used for remote monitoring of patients with mild and moderate severity of COVID-19. Currently, the widespread use of telemedicine and modern digital technologies, which proved their effectiveness during the pandemic in the treatment and control of diabetes, has not yet reached an optimal level. This review examines the possibilities of using telemedicine technologies for patients with diabetes, analyzes the experience of foreign countries and the Russian Federation in managing patients with diabetes during a pandemic, and analyzes the effectiveness of management measures to provide medical care to patients with diabetes.
Innovación en tiempos de incertidumbre: visión y direccionalidad en sistemas de innovación
Authors: Burbano-Figueroa Oscar
Published: September 2023

Introduction: In contemporary society, there is a growing expectation for STI efforts to go beyond economic growth and actively contribute to environmental protection and social justice (transformation towards sustainability). To meet this demand, it is necessary to construct innovation systems that are specifically oriented towards sustainability, facilitating the transformation of sociotechnical systems. This perspective article presents a comprehensive framework that combines theoretical and practical perspectives for implementing innovation systems, incorporating the essential elements of normativity (directionality) and exploration required to drive such transformative processes. Methodology: We formulated a methodological approach that provides innovation systems with normative and exploratory dimensions by synthesizing concepts and methods from several schools of thought, using Systems Analysis and Decision Analysis as conceptual frameworks. Results: Within the context of sustainable development, the principles of sustainability serve as the guiding framework for innovation systems. To successfully implement this approach, it is crucial to integrate both normative analysis, which emphasizes the construction of a shared vision among stakeholders within the innovation system, and exploratory analysis, which aims to identify the most viable transformation pathways for realizing the desired future. Our proposed methodological perspective, referred to as Integrated Futures Analysis, is a step-by-step generalization built upon a synthesis of empirical approaches that combines normative and exploratory analysis. This approach aims to facilitate the understanding and implementation of sustainability-oriented innovation systems. Conclusion: In this article, a synthetic and pragmatic approach to implementing sustainability-oriented innovation systems (SIS) was introduced. The perspective outlined in this article can be effectively employed by consultant teams to aid stakeholders and decision-makers in formalizing and enhancing SIS. Additionally, it helps in identifying the most appropriate actions and methods for implementation of SIS.
Fraude Corporativa e Value Relevance em Companhias Abertas Brasileiras
Authors: Santos Henri Jordan Correa Costa , Souza Paulo Vitor Souza de
Published: September 2023

Objetivo: A informação contábil relevante é aquela capaz de influenciar a tomada de decisão de um determinado usuário. Porém, se a informação gerada for advinda de relatórios fraudados, esta perde sua relevância, ou seja, deixa de ser útil para um tomador de decisão. Sendo assim, este estudo objetiva verificar a relação existente entre indicativos de fraude com a relevância da informação contábil em empresas de capital aberto brasileiras.
Método: Para este alcance, o estudo utilizou uma amostra composta por 126 companhias de capital aberto listadas na B3, ao longo de 2011 a 2020, sendo estas envolvidas ou não em distintas situações que indicam fraude. Para a análise desta interação, foi utilizado o modelo econométrico de value relevance, proposto por Collins, Maydew e Weiss (1997), que complementaram o modelo inicialmente desenvolvido por Ohlson (1995).
Resultados: Os resultados apontaram para o entendimento de que companhias que foram indicadas como “fraudulentas” tendem a perder a relevância de suas informações contábeis, com ênfase na relevância da informação de seu patrimônio líquido perante o mercado de capitais, o qual passou a ter “relevância inversa” de suas informações, por apresentar sinal inverso ao obtido antes da interação com a proxy de fraude.
Contribuições: O estudo contribuiu ao fornecer dados que se alinham ao entendimento fundamentado pela literatura do tema, a respeito de que comportamentos de fraude afetam negativamente as organizações, bem como pela forma como essa informação é percebida pelo mercado, que reage negativamente a ela.