bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Money laundering in a CBDC world: a game of cats and mice
Authors: Dupuis Daniel , Gleason Kimberly , Wang Zhijie
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the present taxonomy of money, summarize potential central bank digital currency (CBDC) regimes that central banks worldwide could adopt and explore the implications of the introduction of each of these CDBC regimes for money laundering through the lens of the regulatory dialectic theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used in the analysis of significant recent events regarding the progress of central banks in establishing a CBDC and the implications for money laundering under a CBDC regime. This paper also reviews the literature regarding the Regulatory Dialectic to highlight potential innovative responses of money launderers to circumvent the controls generated through the implementation of a CBDC.

Findings

This study examines the impact of Kane’s regulatory dialectic paradigm on the feasibility of money laundering under a CBDC regime and identifies potential avenues that would be available for those seeking to launder money, based on the form a CBDC would take.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is unable as of yet to empirically evaluate anti-money laundering (AML) tactics under a CBDC regime as it has not yet been fully implemented.

Practical implications

Many central banks worldwide are evaluating the structure of and introduction of a CBDC. There are a number of forms that a CBDC could take, each of which has implications for individual privacy and for entities involved in AML efforts within financial institutions and the regulatory community. The paper has implications for AML experts who are considering how AML procedures would change under a CBDC regime.

Social implications

The regulatory dialectic predicts that regulatory response reactive, rather than proactive when it comes to socially undesirable phenomena. As central banks and governments seek to divert economic activity away from the laundering of the proceeds of illicit activity, there are tradeoffs in terms of a loss of privacy. The regulatory dialectic predicts a corresponding innovative response of those who wish to undermine the controls generated through the establishment of a CBDC.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to explore the impact of a potential CBDC on money laundering and the potential innovative circumventions within the paradigm of the Regulatory Dialectic.
ICT-based integrated framework for smart facility management: an industry perspective
Authors: Sulaiman Mohammed , Sulaiman Mohammed , Liu Hexu , Binalhaj Mohamed , Al-Kasasbeh Maha , Abudayyeh Osama
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Current facility management (FM) practices are inefficient and ineffective, partially because of missing information and communication issues. Information and communications technologies (ICT) are asserted to provide a promising solution for managing and operating facilities. However, the impact of ICT applications on current FM practices needs to be validated and the perception of FM professionals on ICT-based FM needs to be understood. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the impacts and the perception of ICT application on FM practice and further develop an ICT-based integrated framework for smart FM practices.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objective, the research starts with reviewing several promising ICT for FM, including building information modeling, geographic information systems, unmanned aerial vehicle and augmented reality. On this basis, a conceptional framework was synthesized in consideration of the benefits of each technology. A survey questionnaire to FM professionals was conducted to evaluate the proposed framework and identify the challenges of adopting ICT in the FM industry. Furthermore, return on investment and strength, weakness, opportunities and threats analysis have been used in this paper as evaluation methods for ICT industry adoption.

Findings

The survey results are validated by FM professionals for the future engagement of the integrated ICT applications. Also, the proposed framework can assist the decision-makers to have comprehensive information about facilities and systematize the communication among stakeholders.

Originality/value

This research provides an integrated framework for smart FM to improve decision-making, capitalizing on the ICT applications. Apart from this, the study sheds light on future research endeavors for other ICT applications.
Involuntary psychiatric admissions initiated by two US police departments: a descriptive analysis
Authors: Klimley Kristin , Broj Bethany , Plombon Brittany , Haskamp Caroline , Christopher Rachel , Masias Estefania , Van Hasselt Vincent B. , Black Ryan A.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Police officers are increasingly interacting with individuals with mental illnesses. Officers who encounter these persons have three choices: detain, arrest and transport to a correctional facility; resolve the situation informally; or initiate an involuntary psychiatric admission. The decision to place someone under an involuntary psychiatric admission is based on a variety of factors. This paper aims to collaborate with two metropolitan Police Departments in South Florida to explore individual and departmental factors that contribute to involuntary psychiatric admissions initiated by their officers.

Design/methodology/approach

This investigation examined 1,625 police reports of involuntary psychiatric admissions in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Descriptive statistics for the entire sample were computed, and percentages of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)-trained officers for both departments in each year were determined.

Findings

Results highlighted differences in rates of involuntary commitments, CIT-trained officers and associated variables (e.g. mental health diagnoses, substance use) between the two cities.

Practical implications

Implications of the findings, and directions that future research in this area might take, are discussed.

Originality/value

There is a dearth of literature pertaining to involuntary psychiatric admissions in general and factors specific to involuntary psychiatric admissions initiated by police. This paper adds preliminary findings and implications to this body of research.
Utility of copper (lignin/silica/fatty acids) complex derived from rice straw as antioxidant/hardening and fluid resistant agent in nitrile-butadiene rubber composites (PART IV)
Authors: Othman Hoda Sabry , El-Sabbagh Salwa H. , Nawwar Galal A.
Published: September 2021

Purpose

In continuation to the previous work on copper (lignin/silica/fatty acids) (Cu-LSF) complex as a natural antioxidant/electrical conductivity agent for nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), this study aims to perform further investigations for NBR vulcanizates loaded with different concentrations of Cu-LSF complex, including swelling behavior and hardness properties, as well as evaluating their thermal stability via thermogravimetric analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The behavior of Cu-LSF complex in NBR matrix was compared with that of the standard commercial antioxidants (2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline/N-isopropyl-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine [TMQ/IPPD]).

Findings

Results revealed that Cu-LSF complex can act as an effective reinforcing and hardening agent, with exhibiting fluid resistance, even when compared with the commercial antioxidants. In comparison with the previous studies on its Zn and Ca analogues and their behavior in different rubber matrixes, Cu-LSF complex showed higher values of hardness and less susceptibility for swelling, respectively. Moreover, Cu-LSF antioxidant activity becomes in accordance with the previous work.

Originality/value

The new Cu-LSF complex could be used as a green alternative to the commercial antioxidants (TMQ/IPPD) with introducing further advantages to the rubber matrix, such as hardening, fluid resistance and thermal stability.
Methodological becoming: Doctoral students’ perceptions of their methodological journeys
Authors: Clark Timothy
Published: September 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and illustrate the potential relationships between doctoral students’ life histories and educational experiences and their methodological understanding and assumptions.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative research design consisted of life-history interviews with nine doctoral researchers in the UK in disciplines relating to the social sciences.

Findings

The study indicated that the students’ methodological assumptions may be understood as a socially constructed product of their life histories and academic experiences. Experiences of postgraduate research training were presented as having the potential to unlock the methodological consciousness required to re-frame these experiences, improve understanding and resolve methodological conflict.

Originality/value

This paper provides an insight into the complex nature of the development of methodological understanding and a provocation for considering methodological becoming through the lens of socialisation. This may have utility for both doctoral students and educators.
Real‐world effectiveness of guselkumab in patients with psoriasis: Health‐related quality of life and efficacy data from the noninterventional, prospective, German multicenter PERSIST trial
Authors: Gerdes Sascha , Bräu Beate , Hoffmann Matthias , Korge Bernhard , Mortazawi Dariusch , Wiemers Franca , Wegner Sven , Personke Yvonne , Gomez Mario , Sticherling Michael
Published: September 2021

Psoriasis is a common, chronic inflammatory skin disorder negatively impacting health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Guselkumab, targeting interleukin‐23 (IL‐23), is an approved biologic therapy for psoriasis. PERSIST is an ongoing prospective, noninterventional, long‐term, German multicenter study evaluating the effect of guselkumab on HRQoL, and its efficacy and safety in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis in a real‐world setting. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients with a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score ≤ 1 at week 28. Of 303 patients enrolled and treated with guselkumab, mean age and disease duration were 49.7 and 21.0 years, respectively, and 51.2% (n = 155) of patients had received ≥1 prior biologic therapy. Mean baseline DLQI score was 13.7, and mean symptom and sign scores in the Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary (PSSD) were 51.9 and 60.8, respectively. Baseline Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) and body surface area (%) scores were 16.4 and 27.5. Following 28 weeks of guselkumab treatment, the mean DLQI score decreased to 2.8, and 56.8% of patients (n = 150) achieved DLQI ≤ 1. Mean PSSD symptom and sign scores also improved, decreasing to 12.5 and 15.9, respectively. At week 28, PASI 90 response was 55.3%; significant improvement was observed in patients with psoriasis in difficult‐to‐treat areas. Overall, analyses demonstrated that guselkumab was effective in the real‐world setting, as measured by HRQoL and skin improvements, even in patients with a high burden of disease and those who have received multiple biologic therapies. No new safety signals were observed.
The joint effect of host plant genetic diversity and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities on restoration success
Authors: Aavik Tsipe , Träger Sabrina , Zobel Martin , Honnay Olivier , Van Geel Maarten , Bueno C. Guillermo , Koorem Kadri
Published: September 2021

Drastic loss in the area and quality of natural and semi‐natural habitats over the last hundred years has placed biodiversity and related ecosystem functions under substantial threat. Restoration of degraded ecosystems is among the main solutions to counteract this trend. However, past restoration efforts have not always led to the anticipated halt of species loss, neither have they ensured sustainable provision of vital ecosystem services.

It has been proposed that one of the reasons for the failure to stop biodiversity decline through ecological restoration lies in overlooking the importance of improving ecosystem complexity, including the recovery of interaction networks with co‐adapted species. In the current review, we show how simultaneously addressing these often unnoticed aspects has the potential to advance the success of ecological restoration. We focus on the relationship between the community composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and the genetic diversity of the host plant population as an example.

Most terrestrial plant species associate with AM fungi, which have a fundamental role in ecosystem functioning through enhancing plant nutrition and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress. Previous studies have highlighted the significance of these symbionts in increasing the restoration success of degraded habitats. In parallel, the role of gene‐level diversity within plant populations for creating sustainable ecosystems has increasingly been acknowledged over the last years. However, considering the possible interaction of these two aspects, that is taking AM fungal communities and genetic diversity of host plant populations into account to enhance restoration success, has received no attention.

Evidence suggests that the genetic diversity within a host plant population can have a significant effect on the ability of the host plant to benefit from mycorrhizal associations. We suggest that novel genomic approaches, such as community genetics and landscape genomics, should be applied to shed light on this aspect of plant–fungal interactions and be incorporated in restoration planning. Fundamental understanding of the nature of such associations can benefit from using restoration frameworks as large‐scale experimental settings.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Agriculture causes homogenization of plant‐feeding nematode communities at the regional scale
Authors: Archidona‐Yuste Antonio , Wiegand Thorsten , Eisenhauer Nico , Cantalapiedra‐Navarrete Carolina , Palomares‐Rius Juan E. , Castillo Pablo
Published: September 2021

An emerging research line in conservation ecology addresses how environmental change drivers may cause the biotic homogenization of ecological communities by shifts in species diversity and community composition. While the drivers have been explored in unmanaged ecosystems and managed agricultural systems, this issue has received limited attention in regard to a key soil bioindicator organisms, soil nematodes.

In this study, we evaluated the effect of land‐use change and intensification on the diversity of plant‐feeding nematodes (PFN) though taxonomic and functional measures of alpha and beta diversity. We selected olive tree farms in southern Spain as the study system, given the wide distribution of wild forms in unmanaged systems and cultivated forms in agricultural systems, thus providing the opportunity to assess the effects of land‐use intensity.

Notably, our study revealed that the conversion from natural to agricultural systems and even moderate increases in land‐use intensity caused a significant biotic homogenization by enhancing the functional similarities of PFN communities. Our study emphasizes the key role of body size in structuring nematode communities in response to land‐use type and intensity.

Synthesis and applications. The importance of soil nematodes in soil processes is well known. We show that land‐use intensification reduces soil nematode diversity. Our study has important implications for the development of management strategies that foster soil biodiversity conservation such as no or minimal tillage and logging, vegetative covers and the maintenance of natural habitat.
Past biodiversity: Japanese historical monographs document the trans‐Pacific migration of the black turtle, Chelonia mydas agassizii
Authors: Hayashi Ryota , Yasuda Yoko
Published: September 2021

In recent decades, the eastern Pacific green turtle (recognized as the subspecies Chelonia mydas agassizii, i.e., the black turtle) has occasionally been recorded around the Japanese Archipelago. However, whether its occurrence is a recent ecological response to global climate change or a response to oceanic conditions remains unknown. In the present study, we conducted a literature search using historical Japanese natural history documents called “Honzou Gaku,” and present the first record of trans‐Pacific migration of the black turtle during the Edo period (1600–1868). This finding adds substantial knowledge to our understanding of the life history of this sea turtle species. Thus, a literature search on the historical heritage of other animal and plant species could provide more information about their past or lost biodiversity.
Measuring resource use in Medicare Advantage using Encounter data
Authors: Jung Jeah , Carlin Caroline , Feldman Roger
Published: September 2021

Objective

To check the completeness of Medicare Advantage (MA) Encounter data and to illustrate a process to measure resource use among MA enrollees using Encounter data.

Data sources

2015 Preliminary MA Encounter, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR), Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information System (HEDIS), and 2013 Traditional Medicare (TM) claims data.

Study design

Secondary data analysis.

Data collection/extraction methods

We calculated the percentage of each contract's total hospitalizations in Encounter data after identifying total inpatient stays from Encounter and MedPAR data. We constructed each contract's ambulatory visits and emergency department (ED) visits per 1000 enrollees using Encounter data and compared those visit counts with the counts from HEDIS. We defined high data completeness as having less than 10% missing hospital stays and less than ±10% difference in ambulatory and ED visits between Encounter and HEDIS data. We used TM payments as standardized prices of services to examine resource use among MA enrollees with cancer in the contracts with high data completeness.

Principal findings

We identified 83 of 380 MA contracts with high data completeness. Total resource use per enrollee with cancer in the 83 contracts was $14,715 in 2015. Service‐specific resource use was $5342 for inpatient care, $5932 for professional services and $3441 for outpatient facility services. These represent what an MA enrollee with cancer would have cost on average if MA plans paid providers at TM payment rates, holding the observed utilization constant.

Conclusions

Checking the completeness of Encounter data is an important step to ensure the validity of research on MA resource use. Using Encounter data to measure MA resource use is feasible. It can compensate for the lack of payment information in Encounter data. It will be important to identify and refine ways to best use Encounter data to learn about care provision to MA enrollees.
18F‐FET PET maximum standard uptake value and WHO tumour classification grade in glioma
Authors: Tatkovic Annaleis , McBean Rhiannon , Perkins Ebony , Wong David
Published: September 2021

Background

In the area of oncology, molecular imaging techniques are becoming increasingly utilised. In neuro‐oncology imaging, 18Fluoro‐O‐(2) fluoroethyl‐L‐tyrosine (18F‐FET) is one of the molecular tracers used in positron‐emission tomography (PET). Here, we investigated the correlation between maximum standard uptake value (SUV) of 18F‐FET PET and histologically determined World Health Organization (WHO) grade in glioma.

Patients and Methods

This was a retrospective review of all 18F‐FET PET studies conducted between August 2014 and August 2019. Review was conducted to identify imaging studies performed on patients who had a glioma with histopathology results from surgical resection or biopsy available.

Results

A total of 31 18F‐FET PET studies of histologically confirmed glioma were included. WHO grades ranged from II‐IV. A positive correlation between maximum SUV uptake on 18F‐FET PET and WHO grade was observed.

Conclusions

There was a correlation identified between WHO glioma grade and maximum SUV on 18F‐FET PET. Further studies are recommended to explore this relationship.
Genetic and immune characteristics of multiple primary lung cancers and lung metastases
Authors: Yang Ronghua , Li Peng , Wang Dong , Wang Lingjie , Yin Jihui , Yu Baohua , Li Mengjun , Wang Sai , Wang Yongjie
Published: September 2021

Background

To explore the genetic and immunophenotyping heterogeneities between patients with intrapulmonary metastasis (IPM) or multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC).

Methods

Whole exome sequencing (WES) and transcriptome sequencing (RNA‐seq) were performed on the tissue and blood samples of IPM and MPLC patients to comprehensively analyze the clonal evolution, molecular typing and immunophenotyping.

Results

There was no significant difference in genetic mutation, tumor mutational burden (TMB) value and mutant allele tumor heterogeneity (MATH) value between IPM and MPLC patients. Notably, the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) appeared in all IPM patients, while there was also no significant difference between the two groups. In addition, expression of immune checkpoint‐related genes including CTLA‐4, BTLA, TIGIT and HAVCR2 in the MPLC group was significantly higher than those in IPM group. At the same time, 86 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed between IPM and MPLC patients with transcriptome sequencing, of which 56 DEGs were upregulated and 30 were downregulated in the IPM group compared with the MPLC group. The cluster analysis revealed that the 86 DEGs could be distinguished in IPM and MPLC samples. Moreover, only the infiltration levels of CD56dim natural killer cells in the IPM group was significantly higher than that in the MPLC group, and the infiltration levels of the remaining 27 immune cell subsets were similar in both groups.

Conclusions

IPM and MPLC are roughly similar in genetic and immune characteristics indicating that genomics alone may not be able to effectively distinguish between IPM and MPLC, which still needs to be comprehensively evaluated with clinical manifestations, imaging, and pathological characteristics.
The Effect of SEC Reviewers on Comment Letters*
Authors: Baugh Matthew , Kim Kyonghee , Lee Kwang J.
Published: September 2021

Prior research suggests that even for the same decision task there will be variation in decision outcomes across decision makers due to idiosyncrasies in their styles. This variation brings up a fundamental challenge in the realm of regulations, where consistency of application is of great importance. This study examines whether the idiosyncrasies of individual employees of the SEC contribute to inconsistent regulatory outcomes. Using a sample of SEC comment letters, we show that SEC reviewers' idiosyncratic style plays a significant role in explaining the cross‐sectional variation in filing review outcomes, even after holding firm and disclosure attributes constant. In addition, the likelihood of restatement during the review process varies systemically with the reviewers' review style. These findings suggest that reviewer style influences shareholders and other stakeholders via its impact on the costs in resolving comment letter issues and the quality of corporate disclosure. They also have public policy implications for the way financial reporting rules and regulations are applied.
microRNA‐425 loss mediates amyloid plaque microenvironment heterogeneity and promotes neurodegenerative pathologies
Authors: Hu Yong‐Bo , Zhang Yong‐Fang , Ren Ru‐Jing , Dammer Eric B. , Xie Xin‐Yi , Chen Shi‐Wu , Huang Qiang , Huang Wan‐Ying , Zhang Rui , Chen Hong‐Zhuan , Wang Hao , Wang Gang
Published: September 2021

Different cellular and molecular changes underlie the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among these, neuron‐specific dysregulation is a necessary event for accumulation of classic pathologies including amyloid plaques. Here, we show that AD‐associated pathophysiology including neuronal cell death, inflammatory signaling, and endolysosomal dysfunction is spatially colocalized to amyloid plaques in regions with abnormal microRNA‐425 (miR‐425) levels and this change leads to focal brain microenvironment heterogeneity, that is, an amyloid plaque‐associated microenvironment (APAM). APAM consists of multiple specific neurodegenerative signature pathologies associated with senile plaques that contribute to the heterogeneity and complexity of AD. Remarkably, miR‐425, a neuronal‐specific regulator decreased in AD brain, maintains a normal spatial transcriptome within brain neurons. We tested the hypothesis that miR‐425 loss correlates with enhanced levels of mRNA targets downstream, supporting APAM and AD progression. A miR‐425‐deficient mouse model has enhanced APP amyloidogenic processing, neuroinflammation, neuron loss, and cognitive impairment. In the APP/PS1 mouse model, intervening with miR‐425 supplementation ameliorated APAM changes and memory deficits. This study reveals a novel mechanism of dysregulation of spatial transcriptomic changes in AD brain, identifying a probable neuronal‐specific microRNA regulator capable of staving off amyloid pathogenesis. Moreover, our findings provide new insights for developing AD treatment strategies with miRNA oligonucleotide(s).
Brain age in mood and psychotic disorders: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ballester Pedro L. , Romano Maria T. , de Azevedo Cardoso Taiane , Hassel Stefanie , Strother Stephen C. , Kennedy Sidney H. , Frey Benicio N.
Published: September 2021

Objective

To evaluate whether accelerated brain aging occurs in individuals with mood or psychotic disorders.

Methods

A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted. A meta‐analysis was then performed to assess neuroimaging‐derived brain age gap in three independent groups: (1) schizophrenia and first‐episode psychosis, (2) major depressive disorder, and (3) bipolar disorder.

Results

A total of 18 papers were included. The random‐effects model meta‐analysis showed a significantly increased neuroimaging‐derived brain age gap relative to age‐matched controls for the three major psychiatric disorders, with schizophrenia (3.08; 95%CI [2.32; 3.85]; p < 0.01) presenting the largest effect, followed by bipolar disorder (1.93; [0.53; 3.34]; p < 0.01) and major depressive disorder (1.12; [0.41; 1.83]; p < 0.01). The brain age gap was larger in older compared to younger individuals.

Conclusion

Individuals with mood and psychotic disorders may undergo a process of accelerated brain aging reflected in patterns captured by neuroimaging data. The brain age gap tends to be more pronounced in older individuals, indicating a possible cumulative biological effect of illness burden.
Changes in interoception after alcohol administration correlate with expectancies and subjective effects
Authors: Leganes‐Fonteneau Mateo , Bates Marsha E. , Islam Shahriar , Buckman Jennifer F.
Published: September 2021

Interoceptive signals give rise to subjective feeling states that can drive motivational and behavioural responses. In the context of alcohol use behaviours, interoceptive signals may shape subjective alcohol experiences and thereby support biobehavioural mechanisms of drinking behaviour change. This study examined the acute effects of alcohol on participants' interoceptive abilities and determined whether pharmacologically induced changes in heart beat detection correlate with subjective alcohol effects, craving and expectancies. Participants completed a two‐session, double‐blind placebo controlled experiment (n = 27). Participants consumed a beverage containing 0.4 g/kg of alcohol or a placebo. They also completed measurements of alcohol expectancies at baseline, and alcohol‐induced changes in mood, craving and light‐headedness. Interoceptive ability was measured using the heartbeat discrimination task prior to and following beverage administration, yielding indices of interoceptive accuracy, confidence and meta‐cognition. Alcohol administration increased interoceptive accuracy compared with baseline and placebo; and those changes in interoception negatively correlated with negative alcohol expectancies. Further, changes in interoception positively correlated with perceived light‐headedness and positive mood after alcohol administration, whereas null effects were found for craving. In the placebo condition, null results were obtained. Alcohol is well established to change bodily states, and here, we find that the extent to which alcohol increases participants' sensitivity to bodily states correlates with their subjective drinking experiences. This was observed in relation to mood, light‐headedness and prospective alcohol expectancies. We posit that over successive alcohol experiences, changes in bodily states may feed into the development of alcohol expectancies that could in turn predict future drinking behaviours.
Ultrasonography of the gastrointestinal tract of toco toucans (Ramphastos toco)
Authors: da Silva Jeana Pereira , Rahal Sheila Canevese , Castiglioni Maria Cristina Reis , Rolim Luna Scarpari , Lima Whítara Ferreira , Schimming Bruno Cesar , Moresco Anneke , Mamprim Maria Jaqueline
Published: September 2021

Baseline data for wall thickness in healthy toucans can be used to diagnose disease in sick individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the use of ultrasonography for the examination of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy toco toucans (Ramphastos toco). Ten non‐anaesthetized healthy adult toco toucans were evaluated. Food was withheld for 3 h prior to the ultrasound examination. Longitudinal and transverse images of the gastrointestinal tract were obtained using ventromedian cranial and ventromedian caudal approaches to evaluate the morphology and stratification. The wall thickness of the sections was measured: proventriculus and ventriculus, duodenum, jejunum/ileum, and cloaca. Additionally, the thickness of the mucosal layer of the duodenum and jejunum/ileum was also measured. Subsequently, the ratios of the duodenal wall thickness to the duodenal mucosa layer and the total wall thickness of the jejunum/ileum to the jejunum/ileum layer mucosa were stablished. The wall thickness of the proventriculus was significantly higher than the wall thickness of ventriculus. The wall thickness of the duodenum was significantly higher than the wall thickness of jejunum/ileum. The mean ratios of the duodenal wall thickness to the duodenal mucosa layer and the wall thickness of the jejunum/ileum to the jejunum/ileum layer were 83.15% and 80.07%, respectively. In conclusion, it was possible to assess the stomach and intestines using ultrasound examination in healthy toco toucans, due to their medium body size and no interference by surrounding air sacs.
Pharmacokinetics of testosterone therapies in relation to diurnal variation of serum testosterone levels as men age
Authors: Pastuszak Alexander W. , Gittelman Marc , Tursi James P. , Jaffe Jonathan S. , Schofield David , Miner Martin M.
Published: September 2021

Background

To improve symptoms associated with testosterone deficiency, many testosterone therapies are available that aim to restore serum testosterone (T) levels to the normal physiologic range. The magnitude, frequency, and duration between peak and trough T concentrations vary with route of administration, and none reflect normal endogenous daily diurnal T variations.

Objective

To compare pharmacokinetic profiles of serum T from approved T formulations with endogenous diurnal T variations in young and older men, and to consider whether there may be value in mimicking the diurnal T rhythmicity with exogenous testosterone therapies as men age.

Materials and methods

A literature search of studies examining the diurnal variation of endogenous T in healthy men and men with testosterone deficiency was performed using PubMed in January 2020. Additional searches for serum T pharmacokinetic profiles of various testosterone therapy formulations were also conducted. Prescribing information for various T formulations was also reviewed.

Discussion and conclusion

Endogenous diurnal T variation is well described and appears to be blunted naturally as men age. Men with testosterone deficiency lack diurnal T variation and exhibit a flatter T profile compared with eugonadal men. Some T replacement options provide intraday T level variations similar to normal circadian secretion, and others provide a flatter exposure profile reflective of depot release. Others provide profiles that exceed the frequency and physiologic range of the natural diurnal variation of T. All exogenous T replacement dosing targets an increase in average T levels to within the normal physiologic range and improves symptoms associated with low T, but no single testosterone therapy can exactly mimic the normal diurnal T patterns seen in younger men and the blunted circadian T secretion of older men.
Humanitarian Capture, Solidarity’s Excess: Affect, Experience, and the Mobile Commons in Migrant Solidarity
Authors: Ramírez March Álvaro
Published: September 2021

This article focuses on the relation of affect and the mobile commons by drawing on the case of migrant solidarity in the Spanish state during the so‐called “refugee crisis”. I begin by portraying the context of emergence of migrant solidarity in Catalonia and its relation to the “humanitarian affective governmentality” (HAG) of both migrants and their supporters—a regime that redirects affects in collective organising to reinforce European borders. Despite these attempts of co‐option, however, I argue that migrant solidarity may exceed the capture from HAG. Excess refers, in a first instance, to the role of affects in the social production of experience; and in a second instance, to how collective organising feeds the virtuality that freedom of movement is still possible. I thus argue for the consideration of affects, understood as that emerging in the encounters between bodies, as part of the mobile commons.
Meta‐analysis found high rates of post‐traumatic stress disorder and associated risk factors in parents following paediatric medical events
Authors: Burgess Aaron , Wilcoxon Lucy , Rushworth Imogen , Meiser‐Stedman Richard
Published: September 2021

Aim

This meta‐analysis identified how prevalent parental post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was after their children's medical events and evaluated the risk factors that increased the likelihood of PTSD.

Methods

The MEDLINE, PsycINFO and PTSDpubs databases were searched for papers published in English from 1980 to June 2018. The prevalence of parental PTSD was pooled across the studies and risk factors were extracted whether PTSD symptoms were correlated with other research variables or when the authors had conducted between group analyses of PTSD. We also explored the effects of the assessment method, parental gender and medical events and the risk of bias.

Results

The 54 studies that were identified had a pooled PTSD prevalence rate of 30.3% (95% confidence interval 25.3%–35.5%). Childhood cancer cases yielded the highest rates of parental PTSD. A total of 33 potential risk factors were identified. The risk factors with medium to large effects were: comorbid parental psychological responses and functioning, acute stress responses, child behavioural functioning, uncertainty about the child's illness and negative coping strategies. The findings are discussed within the context of high heterogeneity.

Conclusion

The prevalence of parental PTSD after paediatric medical events was relatively high, and 33 risk factors were identified.
Discussion on “Causal mediation of semicompeting risks” by Yen‐Tsung Huang
Authors: Fulcher Isabel R. , Shpitser Ilya , Didelez Vanessa , Zhou Kali , Scharfstein Daniel O.
Published: September 2021

Huang proposes a method for assessing the impact of a point treatment on mortality either directly or mediated by occurrence of a nonterminal health event, based on data from a prospective cohort study in which the occurrence of the nonterminal health event may be preemptied by death but not vice versa. The author uses a causal mediation framework to formally define causal quantities known as natural (in)direct effects. The novelty consists of adapting these concepts to a continuous‐time modeling framework based on counting processes. In an effort to posit “scientifically interpretable estimands,” statistical and causal assumptions are introduced for identification. In this commentary, we argue that these assumptions are not only difficult to interpret and justify, but are also likely violated in the hepatitis B motivating example and other survival/time to event settings as well.
Reminders of COVID‐19 social distancing can intensify physical pain
Authors: Lee Chun‐Chia , Wu Hui‐Ju , Chiou Wen‐Bin
Published: September 2021

Social distance regulations have been widely implemented to control the global COVID‐19 pandemic. Individuals have thus been experiencing social pain through social distance regulations. Prior research has shown that social and physical pains share a common neural alarm system. Hence, COVID‐19 social distancing should enhance sensitivity to physical pain. Two laboratory studies were conducted to test the spillover effect of COVID‐19 social distancing on physical pain. The findings supported our hypothesis by showing that participants who were reminded of COVID‐19 social distancing reported a higher level of pain perception in response to immersion in hot water (Experiment 1, N = 102) and expressed a lower pain threshold measured by a pressure algometer than did those of controls (Experiment 2, N = 140). This may be the first experimental evidence demonstrating that people primed with COVID‐19 social distancing have increased sensitivity to physical pain. Our findings suggest that people might be more likely to experience physical pain under the impact of COVID‐19 social distancing. The association between a heightened sense of social disconnection in a global pandemic and increased sensitivity to physical pain should receive more attention.
Evidence of the largest Late Holocene mountain glacier extent in southern and southeastern Greenland during the middle Neoglacial from 10Be moraine dating
Authors: Biette Melody , Jomelli Vincent , Chenet Marie , Braucher Régis , Menviel Laurie , Swingedouw Didier , Rinterknecht Vincent ,   ASTER Team
Published: September 2021

The timing of mountain glacier fluctuations is poorly constrained in some parts of Greenland during the Late Holocene. We present 31 10Be cosmic‐ray exposure ages (CRE) of boulders collected from three mountain glacier moraines located in the Tasilap valley, in southeastern Greenland, and 10 10Be CRE ages from one mountain glacier in the Isortup valley, in southern Greenland. For the first time in these areas, mountain glacier fluctuations are documented from moraine CRE for the Late Holocene period. Several glacier advances during the Late Holocene are revealed with exposure ages ranging from 3.90±0.26 to 0.4±0.04 ka. Moraines of three of the four glaciers investigated, dated to 3.75±0.13 ka (n = 3), 3.3±0.19 ka (n = 2) and 2.87±0.13 ka (n = 3), show a common timing of the largest glacier expansion during the Late Holocene. Evidence of at least one individual moraine deposited at ~1.2 ka was found on all glaciers. Finally, the most recent period of glacial advance during the Late Holocene is documented by one glacier in each valley at ~0.66–0.70 ka. The maximum glacier extent at ~3 ka differs from the Late Holocene glacier maximum extent usually reported during the Little Ice Age in east Greenland based on moraine dating and lake sediments. We suggest that the combination of a stronger East Greenland Current and a weaker Irminger Current, potentially associated with increased sea‐ice concentration, superimposed on the long‐term decrease in summer insolation during the Late Holocene could be responsible for this large glacial advance at ~3 ka in southern and southeastern Greenland.
SCRUM‐Japan GI‐SCREEN and MONSTAR‐SCREEN: Path to the realization of biomarker‐guided precision oncology in advanced solid tumors
Authors: Nakamura Yoshiaki , Fujisawa Takao , Taniguchi Hiroya , Bando Hideaki , Okamoto Wataru , Tsuchihara Katsuya , Yoshino Takayuki , Ohtsu Atsushi
Published: September 2021

Comprehensive genomic profiling enables the detection of genomic biomarkers in advanced solid tumors. However, efficient patient screening for the success of precision oncology remains challenging due to substantial barriers, such as genotyping costs and accessibility to matched therapies. To address these challenges, we launched GI‐SCREEN, a nationwide gastrointestinal cancer genomic screening project within the SCRUM‐Japan network in 2015 with the specific purpose of matching patients with a diverse portfolio of affiliated interventional targeted therapy trials. Subsequently, we initiated the molecular profiling projects GOZILA, MONSTAR‐SCREEN‐1, and MONSTAR‐SCREEN‐2, which incorporate tissue and plasma multiomics approaches to accurately identify patients with advanced solid tumors who would benefit from matched therapies. These projects have led to a significant increase in patient participation in targeted clinical trials and the approval of several therapeutics and companion diagnostics. Additionally, clinicogenomic analyses utilizing the SCRUM‐Japan database have provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms of advanced solid tumors. In this review, we describe the path to the realization of cancer precision medicine for patients with advanced solid tumors based on the SCRUM‐Japan GI‐SCREEN and MONSTAR‐SCREEN platforms.
Emerging treatment evolutions and integrated molecular characteristics of biliary tract cancers
Authors: Zhang Ruyi , Puzzoni Marco , Mariani Stefano , Zheng Yi , Liscia Nicole , Guo Yixuan , Donisi Clelia , Liu Yu , Impera Valentino , Fang Weijia , Scartozzi Mario
Published: September 2021

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs) consist of a group of highly heterogeneous malignancies that are characterized by genomic differences among tumors from different anatomic sites. The current treatment for BTC includes surgery, chemotherapy, target therapy, and immunotherapy. Although surgery remains the primary option for localized disease, representing the only potential curative treatment, a high risk of recurrence cannot be neglected. Chemotherapy has been considered the standard of care for both advanced and metastatic disease and in adjuvant settings. However, drug resistance is a major obstacle associated with chemotherapy. The development of genetic testing technologies, including next‐generation sequencing, has opened the door for the identification of drug targets and candidate molecules. A series of preclinical studies has demonstrated the role of gene mutations, abnormal signaling pathways, and immunosuppression in the pathogenesis of BTC, laying the foundation for the application of targeted therapy and immunotherapy. A variety of molecularly targeted agents, including pemigatinib, have shown promising survival benefits in patients with advanced disease. The rapidly evolving role of multimodal therapy represents the subject of this review.
Children boost their cognitive performance with a novel offloading technique
Authors: Armitage Kristy L. , Redshaw Jonathan
Published: September 2021

Ninety‐seven children aged 4–11 (49 males, 48 females, mostly White) were given the opportunity to improve their problem‐solving performance by devising and implementing a novel cognitive offloading strategy. Across two phases, they searched for hidden rewards using maps that were either aligned or misaligned with the search space. In the second phase, maps were presented on rotatable turntables, thus allowing children to manually align all maps and alleviate mental rotation demand. From age six onwards, children showed strong evidence of both mentally rotating misaligned maps in phase 1 and manually aligning them in phase 2. Older children used this form of cognitive offloading more frequently, which substantially improved performance and eliminated the individual differences observed in phase 1.
Imaging immunological processes from blood to brain in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Amor Sandra , Nutma Erik , Marzin Manuel , Puentes Fabiola
Published: September 2021

Neuropathology studies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and animal models of ALS reveal a strong association between aberrant protein accumulation and motor neurone damage, as well as activated microglia and astrocytes. While the role of neuroinflammation in the pathology of ALS is unclear, imaging studies of the central nervous system (CNS) support the idea that innate immune activation occurs early in disease in both humans and rodent models of ALS. In addition, emerging studies also reveal changes in monocytes, macrophages and lymphocytes in peripheral blood as well as at the neuromuscular junction. To more clearly understand the association of neuroinflammation (innate and adaptive) with disease progression, the use of biomarkers and imaging modalities allow monitoring of immune parameters in the disease process. Such approaches are important for patient stratification, selection and inclusion in clinical trials, as well as to provide readouts of response to therapy. Here, we discuss the different imaging modalities, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy and positron emission tomography as well as other approaches, including biomarkers of inflammation in ALS, that aid the understanding of the underlying immune mechanisms associated with motor neurone degeneration in ALS.
‘All in all … it begins with love’: The meanings of parental love in the context of child risk and protection among Israeli Ultra‐Orthodox Jewish parents
Authors: Nadan Yochay , Tener Dafna , Gemara Netanel , Keesing Rivka , Katz Carmit , Roer‐Strier Dorit
Published: September 2021

Parental love is often regarded as central to a child's well‐being, although the culture‐informed and context‐informed scholarship on this topic has been surprisingly limited. The present study was designed to highlight the concept of parental love from the unique perspective of Israeli Ultra‐Orthodox Jewish parents. It is based on a secondary qualitative thematic analysis of 27 interviews with parents that explore the constructions, experiences and meanings they associate with the concept of parental love. The interviews were selected from a study of Ultra‐Orthodox Jewish parents in Israel who were asked about child risk and protection. According to the findings, love was often contrasted to risk; it was viewed as having an immunizing effect and as being core to child well‐being, belonging and faith. Three major themes related to ‘love’ emerged: (1) the responsibility of loving your children, (2) the nature of love (or lack thereof) and (3) the religious and spiritual aspects of love. The study also stresses the importance of cultural and contextual analysis of core constructs such as ‘parental love’ and considers the implications of its findings for interventions with families.