bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Busting the Resistance: Antimicrobial Activity of Plant‐Infused Nanoemulsions against Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Naicker Deshanta , Govender Rowen , Abbai Nathlee S.
Published: July 2024

The escalating antibiotic resistance rates in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) are now a grave concern. There is a critical need for alternative treatment options for infection since N. gonorrhoeae has developed resistance to multiple antibiotics used for treatment. In this study, plant nanoemulsions from Ocimum tenuiflorum, Moringa oleifera, and Azadirachta indica were tested for their antimicrobial properties against N. gonorrhoeae. The study also assessed the toxicity of these plant nanoemulsions using human erythrocytes. The plants were sourced from the Botanical Gardens in Durban, South Africa. Nanoemulsions were produced from the dried plants using established methods. The nanoemulsion‐based plant extracts were tested against laboratory (World Health Organization (WHO) strains) and clinical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae using the disk diffusion method. All six isolates had zones of inhibition for the 1000 μM concentration for all three nanoemulsion‐based plant extracts. No zones of inhibition were observed for 100 μM, 10 μM, and 1 μM nanoemulsion concentrations for five of the isolates. Isolate G176 had zones of inhibition at 1000 μM and 100 μM concentrations for the nanoemulsions of Ocimum tenuiflorum. Both the WHO strains had zones of inhibition appearing at the 1000 μM concentration. For the WHO Y strain, zones of inhibition for both 1000 μM and 100 μM concentrations were observed for the nanoemulsions of Ocimum tenuiflorum and Azadirachta indica. According to the analysis, there was 0% haemolytic activity observed which suggests the nontoxic nature of the extracts. This study showed that the nanoemulsion and plant mix may potentially be used as a safer alternative to treat gonorrhoea.
Longitudinal Relationship between Cognitive Decline and Subjective Well‐Being in Older Adults Based on the Random‐Intercept Cross‐Lagged Panel Model
Authors: Li Guangming , Xie Xin
Published: July 2024

Objective. This study used a random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel model (RI‐CLPM) to explore the longitudinal relationship between cognitive function (CF) and subjective well‐being (SWB) for older adults and investigate if older adults with cognitive decline can be happy. Older adults were divided into two groups according to gender, and the effect of gender with different groups on CF and SWB was discussed. The effects of age, marital status, self‐rated health, exercise, and education level on the CF and SWB were investigated. Methods. This study adopted a longitudinal design and selected 4,672 older adults from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), which spanned 3 time points from 2008 to 2014 (N = 4,672). The mean age was 78.18 years (SD = 9.75, range = 61–111) and 2,238 (47.9%) were males. The CF was measured using the cognitive function scale, and the SWB was measured using 6 questions related to positive and negative emotions from CLHLS. Results. (1) The chi‐square difference test between the two models further showed that the RI‐CLPM fitted data significantly better than traditional CLPM (∆χ2 (3) = 203.656, p < 0.001). The RI‐CLPM was more suitable for this study than the CLPM. (2) This study examined whether the relationship between CF and SWB for older adults was bidirectional or unidirectional. The article only partially supported them, which indicates that including the gender role was successful. (3) Self‐rated health, exercise, and education level had a significant positive impact on both CF and SWB. The only distinguishable factor that affects CF between males and females is the marital status. The effect for female CF is not significant (β = −0.001, p = 0.961), but the effect for male CF is significant (β = −0.146, p < 0.001). Conclusion. Gender discrimination is necessary to better understand the impact of cognitive decline on SWB. Female older adults with cognitive decline could be happy, but male older adults could not. Male CF is more affected by marital status than females. It is more important to care about the cognitive decline of unmarried male older adults. Older age and unmarried males are risk factors for older adults, but better self‐rated health, more regular exercise, and continuous learning are the protective factors for older adults. These risk factors need to be prevented and these protective factors should be strengthened.
An Exploration of the Experiences and Perceptions of TBI Survivors About Accessing Vocational Rehabilitation During the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Petersen Tarryn , Soeker Mogammad Shaheed
Published: July 2024

Background: Statistics indicate a high prevalence of TBI in South Africa, with many individuals with TBI not returning to work. The lack of return to work among TBI survivors is particularly due to factors such as injury severity, preinjury educational and occupational status, and age at injury. However, in addition to the above factors, there was the COVID‐19 pandemic, which resulted in the de‐escalation of nonessential outpatient services in order to assist with curbing the spread of the virus.

Objective: The aim of the article is to explore the experiences and perceptions of TBI survivors about accessing vocational rehabilitation during the COVID‐19 pandemic and how this has affected their worker roles.

Method: A descriptive, explorative qualitative research design was used, and semistructured interviews were conducted to collect data. The authors subsequently analysed the transcribed data using a thematic analysis approach. The COREQ (consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research) checklist was used as a reporting guideline. Ten TBI survivors and two individuals working in the public health sector participated in this study. Two semistructured interviews were conducted with each research participant.

Results: Three themes emanated from the study, namely, Theme 1: “The barriers to accessing rehabilitation during the COVID‐19 pandemic” represents the participants’ barriers to accessing rehabilitation programmes throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic. Theme 2: “Lack of rehabilitation negatively influenced the individual with TBI occupational performance” describes how the lack of OT rehabilitation during the COVID‐19 pandemic impacted the participants’ quality of life. Theme 3: “Factors that facilitated access to rehabilitation during the COVID‐19 pandemic” describes the factors that facilitated access to OT rehabilitation services during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Conclusion: The study found that there were barriers and facilitators to accessing occupational therapy rehabilitation during the COVID‐19 pandemic for TBI survivors. More research needs to be conducted to explore the efficacy of telehealth/telemedicine for occupational therapy rehabilitation and the role of the occupational therapist in global pandemics.
Effect of Lupine Hull Ash on Geotechnical Behavior of Weak Expansive Subgrade Soils
Authors: Assefa S. M. , Gedif Yosef , Assefa Eleyas
Published: July 2024

Several road sections have failed due to volume changes of expansive soils during moisture variation. While there are various common stabilization techniques, the use of agricultural byproducts in stabilization works can minimize costs and environmental effects when compared to ordinary stabilization methods. This paper discusses an experimental approach used to study the influence of lupine hull ash on expansive soil as a subgrade material. The laboratory results show that the expansive soils belong to A‐7‐5 and CH classes according to AASHTO and USCS, respectively. The expansive soil was mixed with varying concentrations of lupine hull ash, namely, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%. The plasticity index and free swell index were reduced by 68.19% and 62.67%, respectively, when treated with a 12% lupine hull ash concentration. The compaction test revealed a decrement of MDD and increment in OMC values as the percentage of the stabilizer material increased. Additionally, the UCS and CBR values increased significantly as the concentration of the expansive soil increased. The mineralogical analysis showed that the untreated soil is composed of 46.2% silica, 28.7% montmorillonite, and 25.1% kaolinite minerals. The SEM and XRD analysis proved the microstructural and mineralogical changes when the expansive soil is mixed with the optimum lupine hull ash concentration. While the CBR value of natural soil is unsuitable for subgrade material, mixing it with a 9% concentration of lupine hull ash ensures that the expansive soil complies with the standard as subgrade material. The experimental findings of this study emphasize the suitability of lupine hull ash for treating expansive soil encountered in rural road construction works.
Chromosome 7 Gain Compensates for Chromosome 10 Loss in Glioma
Authors: Nair Nishanth Ulhas , Schäffer Alejandro A. , Gertz E. Michael , Cheng Kuoyuan , Zerbib Johanna , Sahu Avinash Das , Leor Gil , Shulman Eldad D. , Aldape Kenneth D. , Ben-David Uri , Ruppin Eytan
Published: July 2024

The co-occurrence of chromosome 10 loss and chromosome 7 gain in gliomas is the most frequent loss–gain co-aneuploidy pair in human cancers. This phenomenon has been investigated since the late 1980s without resolution. Expanding beyond previous gene-centric studies, we investigated the co-occurrence in a genome-wide manner, taking an evolutionary perspective. Mining of large-scale tumor aneuploidy data confirmed the previous finding of a small-scale longitudinal study that the most likely order is chromosome 10 loss, followed by chromosome 7 gain. Extensive analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data from both patients and cell lines revealed that this co-occurrence can be explained by functional rescue interactions that are highly enriched on chromosome 7, which could potentially compensate for any detrimental consequences arising from the loss of chromosome 10. Transcriptomic data from various normal, noncancerous human brain tissues were analyzed to assess which tissues may be most predisposed to tolerate compensation of chromosome 10 loss by chromosome 7 gain. The analysis indicated that the preexisting transcriptomic states in the cortex and frontal cortex, where gliomas arise, are more favorable than other brain regions for compensation by rescuer genes that are active on chromosome 7. Collectively, these findings suggest that the phenomenon of chromosome 10 loss and chromosome 7 gain in gliomas is orchestrated by a complex interaction of many genes residing within these two chromosomes and provide a plausible reason why this co-occurrence happens preferentially in cancers originating in certain regions of the brain.

 Significance: Increased expression of multiple rescuer genes on the gained chromosome 7 could compensate for the downregulation of several vulnerable genes on the lost chromosome 10, resolving the long-standing mystery of this frequent co-occurrence in gliomas.
Update on Recommendations for Surveillance for Children with Predisposition to Hematopoietic Malignancy
Authors: Maese Luke D. , Wlodarski Marcin W. , Kim Sun Young , Bertuch Alison A. , Bougeard Gaelle , Chang Vivian Y. , Godley Lucy A. , Khincha Payal P. , Kuiper Roland P. , Lesmana Harry , McGee Rose B. , McReynolds Lisa J. , Meade Julia , Plon Sharon E. , Savage Sharon A. , Scollon Sarah R. , Scott Hamish S. , Walsh Michael F. , Nichols Kim E. , Porter Christopher C.
Published: July 2024

Children harboring certain germline gene variants have an increased risk of developing myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and other hematopoietic malignancies (HM), such as leukemias and lymphomas. Recent studies have identified an expanding number of these predisposition genes, with variants most prevalent in children with MDS but also found in children with other HM. For some hematopoietic malignancy predispositions (HMP), specifically those with a high risk of MDS, early intervention through hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can favorably impact overall survival, providing a rationale for rigorous surveillance. A multidisciplinary panel of experts at the 2023 AACR Childhood Cancer Predisposition Workshop reviewed the latest advances in the field and updated prior 2017 surveillance recommendations for children with HMP. In addition to general guidance for all children with HMP, which includes annual physical examination, education about the signs and symptoms of HM, consultation with experienced providers, and early assessment by a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation specialist, the panel provided specific recommendations for individuals with a higher risk of MDS based on the affected gene. These recommendations include periodic and comprehensive surveillance for individuals with those syndromes associated with higher risk of MDS, including serial bone marrow examinations to monitor for morphologic changes and deep sequencing for somatic changes in genes associated with HM progression. This approach enables close monitoring of disease evolution based on the individual’s genetic profile. As more HMP-related genes are discovered and the disorders’ natural histories are better defined, these personalized recommendations will serve as a foundation for future guidelines in managing these conditions.
Effectiveness of PARP Inhibitor Maintenance Therapy in Ovarian Cancer by BRCA1/2 and a Scar-Based HRD Signature in Real-World Practice
Authors: Richardson Debra L. , Quintanilha Julia C. F. , Danziger Natalie , Li Gerald , Sokol Ethan , Schrock Alexa B. , Ebot Ericka , Bhardwaj Neeru , Norris Tanesha , Afghahi Anosheh , Frachioni Anthony , Washington Christina , Dockery Lauren , Elvin Julia , Graf Ryon P. , Moore Kathleen N.
Published: July 2024

Purpose:

The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy (mPARPi) in real-world practice by biomarker status [BRCA1/2 alterations (BRCAalt) and a homologous recombination deficiency signature (HRDsig)] in advanced ovarian cancer.

Experimental Design:

Patients with ovarian cancer receiving first-line platinum-based chemotherapy and either mPARPi or no maintenance were included. Patient data were obtained by a US-based de-identified ovarian cancer Clinico-Genomic Database, from ∼280 US cancer clinics (01/2015–03/2023). Real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) and overall survival (rwOS) were compared by biomarker status using Cox models, weighted by propensity scores.

Results:

Of 673 patients, 160 received mPARPi [31.2% BRCAalt and 51.9% HRDsig(+)] and 513 no maintenance [15.6% BRCAalt and 34.1% HRDsig(+)]. BRCAalt patients receiving mPARPi versus no maintenance had favorable rwPFS [HR, 0.48; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.26–0.87; P = 0.0154], as did BRCA wild-type (WT; HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.57–1.01; P = 0.0595). Favorable rwOS was not observed with mPARPi for BRCAalt or BRCA-WT. HRDsig(+) patients receiving mPARPi versus no maintenance had favorable rwPFS (HR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.24–0.55; P < 0.001) and numerically favorable rwOS (HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.21–1.02; P = 0.0561). No differences were observed for HRDsig(−). mPARPi treatment interaction was observed for HRDsig(+) versus HRDsig(−) (rwPFS P < 0.001/rwOS P = 0.016) but not for BRCAalt versus BRCA-WT. Patients with BRCA-WT/HRDsig(+) receiving mPARPi had favorable rwPFS (HR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.22–0.72; P = 0.003), whereas no difference was observed for BRCA-WT/HRDsig(−).

Conclusions:

HRDsig predicted benefit of mPARPi better than BRCAalt. Patients with HRDsig(+) status experienced favorable outcomes, even if they had BRCA-WT status. In contrast, patients with HRDsig(−) status did not show significant benefit from mPARPi treatment. HRDsig might predict benefit from mPARPi regardless of BRCAalt status.
Figure S1 from E2F1-Associated Purine Synthesis Pathway Is a Major Component of the MET-DNA Damage Response Network
Authors: Poliaková Turan Michaela , Riedo Rahel , Medo Matúš , Pozzato Chiara , Friese-Hamim Manja , Koch Jonas P. , Coggins Si’Ana A. , Li Qun , Kim Baek , Albers Joachim , Aebersold Daniel M. , Zamboni Nicola , Zimmer Yitzhak , Medová Michaela
Published: July 2024

p4E-BP1 protein levels upon MET inhibition: Whole-cell lysates were subjected to Western blotting using a specific antibody against p4E-BP1 following the treatment either with vehicle or 50nM tepotinib (EMD1214063, shortly EMD) for either 4 or 24h as indicated. Western blots representative of N=3 independent experiments are shown.
In silico Characterization of Satellitomes and Cross-Amplification of Putative satDNAs in Two Species of the Hypostomus ancistroides Complex (Siluriformes, Loricariidae)
Authors: Rocha-Reis Dinaíza Abadia , Rodrigues-Oliveira Igor Henrique , Pasa Rubens , Menegídio Fabiano Bezerra , Heslop-Harrison John Seymour (Pat) , Schwarzacher Trude , Kavalco Karine Frehner
Published: July 2024

Introduction: The mapping of the satellite DNA on chromosomes is vital to understanding the distribution and evolution of repetitions in the genome since these chromosomal studies have shown the origin, evolutionary mode, and function of repetitive sequences. This study aimed to prospect the satellitome and determine its location in the genome of two cryptic species of Hypostomus, H. aff. ancistroides and H. ancistroides, with and without XX/XY sexual chromosome system. Methods: Mitotic chromosomes and DNA extraction were obtained according to protocols. After the whole genome sequencing, the satDNAs were retrieved, amplified, and hybridized in chromosome preparations for male and female individuals. Results: We found 30 satellite families (47 variants, two superfamilies) in H. ancistroides and 38 satellite families (45 variants, four superfamilies) in H. aff. ancistroides. The sequences varied from 14 bp to 2,662 bp in H. ancistroides and from 14 bp to 2,918 bp in H. aff. ancistroides. We did not observe any tandem repeats that were exclusive to each of the libraries; however, many sequences showed very different abundances and copy numbers between the libraries. Four satDNAs did not hybridize on the chromosomes of either species. Conversely, one satDNA hybridized in both species, HxySat1-80. However, the phenotypes found varied among species, populations, and in the same individual. There was no sign of HanSat3-464 and HanSat11-335 in any individuals of H. aff. ancistroides, but markings were in the chromosomes of H. ancistroides. HxySat12-1127 and HxySat8-52, on the other hand, were only hybridized in H. aff. ancistroides, while H. ancistroides had a negative sign. No hybridization of satDNAs was found in the X and Y sex chromosomes as they were mostly composed of euchromatin. Conclusion: We distinguish H. aff. ancistroides as genetically different from H. ancistroides, recognizing that such characteristics go far beyond morphological, karyotypic, and molecular data. Our data support the differential abundance and location of satellite DNAs and confirm that many organisms, including fish, have repetitive sequences that validate the library hypothesis. All found and validated satDNAs and the characterization of the satellitomes of the two species represent important contributions to cytogenomic studies of the genus Hypostomus.
Renal Impairment of Proximal Tubular Injury Caused by Red Yeast Rice Supplement: Report of 2 Cases
Authors: Takeuchi Kazuhiro , Kawamura Sayumi , Wada Yukihiro , Sakamoto Emi , Kuno Hideaki , Sakurabayashi Shun , Motohashi Tomomi , Okawa Hiroyuki , Kawamura Naohiro , Naito Shokichi , Aoyama Togo , Shimizu Akira , Takeuchi Yasuo
Published: July 2024

Introduction: Drug-induced tubulointerstitial injury is a common cause of renal impairment. Since the mechanisms of drug-induced tubular injury are diverse, various treatment approaches are needed according to the pathogenesis. Renal biopsy is indispensable to determine not only the pathological diagnosis, but also the underlying mechanism, and to guide appropriate treatment. Most recently, one of the red yeast supplements has been widely highlighted as a novel cause of tubular damage, mainly in Japan and Asia. However, neither detailed pathological findings nor the mechanism of renal impairment has been sufficiently reported. Case Presentation: Two cases of renal impairment after taking red yeast supplement internally are presented. Both cases showed renal dysfunction with low uric acid, potassium, and phosphorus levels, characteristic features of Fanconi syndrome. The renal biopsy findings of both cases showed severe injury to the proximal tubules with mild inflammatory cell infiltration. The proximal tubules exhibited diffuse loss of the brush border, flattening, and tubular lumen dilation. Immunofluorescence showed no deposition of immunoglobulin and complement in the glomeruli and tubules. Electron microscopic findings indicated proximal tubular damage without crystal deposition. Moreover, immunohistochemistry using the proximal tubular marker CD10 and a marker for distal tubules including the loop of Henle, E-cadherin, collectively demonstrated that the focus of renal injury in both cases was mainly the proximal tubules. Conclusions: The red yeast rice supplement itself, its metabolized product, or other unknown contaminant components might directly induce proximal tubulopathy rather than an allergic reaction-related tubulointerstitial nephritis.
Association between Body Mass Index or Serum Albumin and Different Dementia Populations
Authors: Yang Xia , Ma Ling-Yun , Li Moyu , Ji Yong
Published: July 2024

Introduction: There is limited understanding of body mass index (BMI) and serum albumin levels in patients with dementia. This study aimed to investigate the association between BMI, serum albumin levels, and dementia in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PDD). Methods: A total of 336 patients with dementia (173 with AD, 112 with DLB, 51 with PDD) and 220 healthy controls were recruited. Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses were performed to examine the relationships between BMI or serum albumin and MMSE scores, as well as neuropathological markers. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the data, adjusting for confounding variables. Results: Using the highest BMI quartile (≥26.04 kg/m2) and serum albumin quartile (≥41.21 g/L) as reference groups, the lowest BMI quartile (<21.91 kg/m2) was significantly associated with AD (p < 0.001) and DLB (p = 0.003). The lowest serum albumin quartile (≤37.60 g/L) was independently associated with DLB (p < 0.001) and AD (p = 0.006). In AD patients, BMI was associated with Aβ1–42 and p-Tau181 in cerebrospinal fluid after controlling for confounders, while serum albumin was correlated with T-Tau and T-tau/Aβ1–42 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Decreased serum albumin and BMI levels are associated with DLB and AD in dementia patients. Although no correlation was found between BMI or serum albumin and MMSE scores, there was a significant association with AD cerebrospinal fluid pathologic markers.
Jugar en el parque para promover el cuidado ambiental en la infancia
Authors: Casillas-Zapata Amanda Melissa , Adame-Rivera Lydia Marcela
Published: July 2024

(analytical)The social, environmental, and technological transformations that cities are experiencing have limited children's opportunities to interact with nature and care for the environment. This study analyzed the relationship between pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors with children's level of contact with nature and their visits to urban green spaces designed for play. A mixed methodology was used that involved individual interviews, didactic activities and drawings on specific topics by children from elementary schools. The results of the study highlighted a significant relationship between proenvironmental attitudes and children's visits to parks. However, limitations were identified in the exploration of pro-environment behaviors. The authors concluded that parks can be considered outdoor play spaces and children have the potential to develop pro-environmental attitudes.
UMOD
Genotype-Blinded Trial of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Response to Torasemide
Authors: McCallum Linsay , Lip Stefanie , McConnachie Alex , Brooksbank Katriona , MacIntyre Iain M. , Doney Alexander , Llano Andrea , Aman Alisha , Caparrotta Thomas M. , Ingram Gareth , Mackenzie Isla S. , Dominiczak Anna F. , MacDonald Thomas M. , Webb David J. , Padmanabhan Sandosh
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND:

UMOD (uromodulin) has been linked to hypertension through potential activation of Na
+
-K
+
-2Cl
−
cotransporter (NKCC2), a target of loop diuretics. We posited that hypertensive patients carrying the rs13333226-AA
UMOD
genotype would demonstrate greater blood pressure responses to loop diuretics, potentially mediated by this UMOD/NKCC2 interaction.

METHODS:

This prospective, multicenter, genotype-blinded trial evaluated torasemide (torsemide) efficacy on systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduction over 16 weeks in nondiabetic, hypertensive participants uncontrolled on ≥1 nondiuretic antihypertensive for >3 months. The primary end point was the change in 24-hour ambulatory SBP (ABPM SBP) and SBP response trajectories between baseline and 16 weeks by genotype (AA versus AG/GG) due to nonrandomized groups at baseline (
ClinicalTrials.gov
: NCT03354897).

RESULTS:

Of 251 enrolled participants, 222 received torasemide and 174 demonstrated satisfactory treatment adherence and had genotype data. The study participants were middle-aged (59±11 years), predominantly male (62%), obese (body mass index, 32±7 kg/m
2
), with normal eGFR (92±17 mL/min/1.73 m²) and an average baseline ABPM of 138/81 mm Hg. Significant reductions in mean ABPM SBP were observed in both groups after 16 weeks (AA, −6.57 mm Hg [95% CI, −8.44 to −4.69];
P
<0.0001; AG/GG, −3.22 [95% CI, −5.93 to −0.51];
P
=0.021). The change in mean ABPM SBP (baseline to 16 weeks) showed a difference of −3.35 mm Hg ([95% CI, −6.64 to −0.05];
P
=0.048) AA versus AG/GG genotypes. The AG/GG group displayed a rebound in SBP from 8 weeks, differing from the consistent decrease in the AA group (
P
=0.004 for difference in trajectories).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results confirm a plausible interaction between UMOD and NKCC2 and suggest a potential role for genotype-guided use of loop diuretics in hypertension management.

REGISTRATION:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT03354897.
Impact of peer review type and editor gender on women authorships in mathematics
Authors: Lozano Guadalupe I. , MacArthur Kelly , Barr Ben
Published: July 2024

Aiming to explain and help reduce measured gender gaps in mathematics publications—a discipline where single anonymized peer review practices and men editors are still the norm—we study changes in authorships straddling a 2015 switch in peer review type and editor gender in the American Mathematical Monthly, one of the oldest mathematics journals in the United States. Our results show a significant increase in women authorships after the journal’s switch to a woman editor and double anonymized reviews, an increase deemed exceptional relative to growth trends in comparable journals operating under field standards (men editors along with single anonymized reviews). We leverage literature, data-based observations and our own findings to argue for the likely effects of editor gender and peer review type separately and together as it concerns both women and newcomer authorships. Our study, the first to our knowledge on editorial and peer review changes in mathematics, contributes to a small body of literature on the impact of equity practices in peer review in science and mathematics. It also serves to introduce work, methods, and open problems on measuring and reducing the global gender gap in science and mathematics.
Researcher profile system adoption and use across discipline and rank: A case study at the University of Manitoba
Authors: Fuhr Justin , Monnin Caroline
Published: July 2024

This study analyzes the adoption and use of researcher profile systems (ORCID, Scopus Author Profiles, Web of Science Researcher Profiles (formerly Publons), Google Scholar Profiles, and ResearchGate) across discipline and rank at the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Canada). The purpose of the study is to assess how many faculty members have registered for and use researcher profiles and whether there are any differences in use along discipline or academic rank. The adoption rate in the current study is compared with other international studies. At the University of Manitoba, there is variance in adoption between disciplines and ranks. When comparing profile systems by discipline, Google Scholar is the primary profile system for sciences and ORCID, Publons, and ResearchGate the primary profile systems for health sciences. There is variance of publication count between disciplines. Unsurprisingly, the number of publications increases as faculty are promoted. Among the studied profile systems, ORCID is not working as efficiently as it could be. Several recommendations to increase ORCID adoption are made, including mandatory public fields and suggestions for third-party integration. As part of increasing usage of profile systems, we see academic librarians as a key component of instruction and advocacy for graduate students and faculty.
Introduction
Authors: Sommer Marianne
Published: July 2024

This is the first book on the role of diagrams in the history of anthropology. It thus presents a new look at the history of this field, at the history of ‘race’, and signifies an important contribution to the diagrammatic turn in the humanities and social sciences. Diagrams are especially pertinent to anthropology – a field concerned with defining human groups and establishing the history and kinship of these groups – because diagrams are inherently about relations. From the rise of physical anthropology in the last decades of the eighteenth century, diagrams have been used to determine but also to deny family relations between humans. They have been tools in the debates between monogenists and polygenists. Especially in the shape of ‘trees’, diagrams have played an important role in arguments for evolutionary understandings of human diversity, but they have also been a means to carry over polygenist elements into evolutionary paradigms. However, with the ‘revolutions’ ushered in by the enhanced possibilities of DNA and especially ancient DNA analyses, the critique of the human family tree that goes back at least to Charles Darwin has taken on new force: does human relatedness take the shape of a network? Is the human genome a mosaic of different ancestries, not only of different ‘races’ but even of what are generally considered different species like the Neanderthals? This is a book about the epistemic and political role of diagrams in the history of physical, evolutionary, and genetic anthropology with their ties to imperial and (post-)colonial practices and ideologies, but also to liberal and humanist concerns.
Part I. Building a Diagrammatics of ‘Race’ in the Emerging Field of Anthropology
Authors: Sommer Marianne
Published: July 2024

Part I shows how diagrams were an integral part of racial anthropology from the start. A wide range of diagrammatic imagery was introduced to produce human ‘races’ as physical entities in the first place, such as geometric renderings of skull outlines, in which the lines for comparative measurement might be shown, skull superimpositions, or tables presenting craniometric means for different ‘races’. Diagrams seem to have suggested themselves as tools for a science that aimed at categorizing and classifying human groups, because, following Charles Sanders Peirce, diagrams represent relations and proportions that characterize a phenomenon. However, diagrams are also constructive – they may bring relations newly into being – and they may be informed by and inform ideological conceptions. The diagrammatic approach, in its portrayal and perception of bodies, particularly skulls, in terms of proportions and relations laid the foundation for the new field of physical anthropology – a diagrammatic approach that was developed into a diagrammatics of ‘race’ through the introduction of instruments and measurements.
Part II. Maps, Scales, and Trees as (Intertwined) Diagrams of Human Genealogy and Evolution
Authors: Sommer Marianne
Published: July 2024

At the time Charles Darwin wrote The Descent of Man (1871), the polygenist movement was far from over. Indeed, the book makes a strong argument against it. While suspicious of Samuel George Morton’s physical anthropology, Darwin was intrigued by a kind of diagram that would become dominant in the presentation of evolutionary understandings of human history and diversity: the tree structure. The use of trees to also depict intra-human relations predated evolutionary interpretations. In Part II, the first such diagram that I have found is used to discuss links to religious imagery like the mappa mundi, the tree of life, and the tree of Jesse, as well as to the hierarchical scale of nature and other diagrammatic techniques that were employed in natural history. Drawing on such techniques, Darwin widely experimented with tree-like shapes to capture his new, evolutionary approach. However, he did not thus visually subdivide humans. It was his ‘German ally’, Ernst Haeckel, who was prone to excessive and racist phylogenic treeing. Darwin’s skepticism towards this practice points to the fact that the use of the family tree in anthropology does not follow naturally from its application in either diverse cultural realms or in biology. Rather, this transfer requires careful investigation with regard to its epistemic and political consequences.
7. Map, Scale, and Tree in Natural History
Authors: Sommer Marianne
Published: July 2024

Chapter 7 looks at the imagery of the map, the chain of being, and the tree in natural history. The linear scale was seen as the underlying order arranging all natural entities according to rungs of perfection, and in the early modern period, it could acquire a dynamic aspect. However, the vast expansion in knowledge of animals and plants from many parts of the world during the seventeenth and eighteenth century compelled naturalists to experiment with diagrams to capture the bountiful diversity of life. Up until Charles Darwin’s influence, relatedness was predominantly represented by keys, map-like, and reticulate diagrams, or geometric figures. The phylogenetic tree to capture the branching transformationist view of life as differentiating from a common origin only appeared later in the nineteenth century.
15. Missing Links to the Eugenic Pedigrees
Authors: Sommer Marianne
Published: July 2024

The fact that some of the scientists treated in Part III were active eugenicists points to another source of inspiration for the genealogical tree in anthropology. From 1900 to the 1930s, eugenics and its core research and propaganda tool, the pedigree, peaked. Pedigrees were used to chart the supposedly hereditary transfer of talents, ‘defects’, diseases, and complex social behaviors. Scientists also constructed pedigrees of ‘racially mixed’ families. In contrast to the racist phylogenies, they established close relationships between living populations, but these relations were often seen as creating imbalances in body and mind. Pedigrees of ‘racial crossing’ supposedly protocolled the breakdown of what was perceived as the natural order of ‘racial distinctions’.
16. The History, Geography, and Politics of Human Genes
Authors: Sommer Marianne
Published: July 2024

From the 1960s, human population geneticists aimed at revealing the original human population relations, and they favored genetic data from Indigenous, supposedly isolated human groups. Some of the labels used in the resulting tree diagrams were a legacy of the racial and colonial anthropology treated in the preceding parts. But the young human population genetics was very different from the racial typology of old, and the notion of pure races or race in general was often emphatically rejected. Nonetheless, the tree continued to organize human diversity into clearly demarcated groups. In Chapter 16, misreadings and misuses of population-genetic diagrams in the service of racist science will thus again come under scrutiny.
20. Deconstructing the Tree Diagram to a Mess – or at least a Net
Authors: Sommer Marianne
Published: July 2024

Despite the resilience of traditional models, the increasing knowledge about the amount of admixture in living populations and genetic transfer between archaic (such as Neanderthal and Denisovan) and modern human lines raised new questions. Are we entering a post-Linnean and post-Haeckelian age, in which heterarchical understandings of diversity and net-shaped notions of human relatedness take over? Is opinion more generally moving towards models such as proposed by Franz Weidenreich close to eighty years ago that today are subsumed in modified forms under the label of multiregionalism, in which human evolution is conceptualized as having been marked by genetic exchange and thus little taxonomic differentiation? And if so, what political implications might this shift entail?
Quantifying the Role of Ocean Dynamics in SST Variability across GCMs and Observations
Authors: Siqueira L. , Kirtman B. P. , Laurindo L. C. , Fasullo J. T. , Hu A.
Published: July 2024

Midlatitude SSTs forced by mesoscale oceanic processes can affect the large-scale atmosphere, pointing to the ocean’s crucial role outside the tropics. Previous studies have shown oceanic mesoscale processes’ effect on global and regional climate variability. This study quantifies the local contribution of ocean dynamics to mixed-layer temperature across the globe by directly estimating the ocean heat flux divergence resolved by state-of-the-art ocean reanalysis, eddy-resolving, and eddy-parameterized versions of two U.S. national climate models and indirectly from air–sea flux satellite-based estimates. Our results show that the eddy-resolving climate simulations resolve mixed-layer temperature variances that are larger and closer to those inferred from observations than both their eddy-parameterized counterparts and ECCO over much of the extratropics. The observations and the eddy-resolving models indicate a more significant role of ocean dynamics in the mixed-layer temperature variability than the surface fluxes over most extratropics compared to their eddy-parameterized versions. A frequency domain analysis shows that the better-resolved ocean mesoscale and thermal gradients enhance the variance over a time scale from 2 months to 30 years. Results show agreement in the ocean’s contribution among satellite-based estimates, ocean reanalysis products, and ocean eddy-resolving simulations. At the same time, differences emerge for ECCO and the eddy-parameterized models, suggesting that surface fluxes account for a larger fraction of the mixed-layer temperature variability in most of the extratropics.
Monitoring Outcomes of Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules and Predictive Capabilities of Molecular Testing
Authors: Garrett Samuel , Millay David , Pierre James , Pluta Natalia , Russo Christopher , Neelon Daniel , Bauer Elizabeth , Hoang Thanh , Orestes Michael
Published: July 2024

Objective:

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of reflex molecular testing at identifying thyroid malignancy in indeterminate thyroid nodules (ITNs) since its implementation at our institution.

Method:

Identified all ITNs at our institution from January 2010 to October 2020. Calculated the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of ThyroSeq since the initiation of universal reflex testing of all first-time ITNs beginning in March 2016. Analyze effect on frequency of diagnostic surgeries.

Results:

Study group: March 2016 to October 2020, 378 ITNs underwent ThyroSeq (318 Bethesda III and 60 Bethesda IV). Mean age 52 years, 35.9% male, 61.1% female. 145 surgically excised with overall resection rate of 38.4% (III: 32.7%; IV 68%). Final histology: 49 malignant with overall rate of malignancy (ROM) of ITNs at 33.8% (III: 31.7%; IV: 39%). ThyroSeq sensitivity for ITNs at 84% (III 78.8%, IV 93.8%). ThyroSeq NPV for ITNs at 86% (III 84%, IV 93.3%). ThyroSeq specificity for ITNs at 52% (III 50.7%, IV 56%). ThyroSeq PPV for ITNs at 47% (III 42.6%, IV 57.7%). Control group: From January 2010 to February 2016 there were 242 ITNs (152 Bethesda III, 90 Bethesda IV). Mean age 52.6 years, 25.8% male, 74.2% female. 157 cases were surgically excised, with an overall resection rate of 64.9% (III: 57.2%; IV: 77.8%). Final histology: 32 malignant, with overall ROM of ITNs at 20.4% (III: 27.6%; IV: 11.4%).

Conclusion:

The initiation of universal Thyroseq (sensitivity 84% and NPV 86%) of ITNs at our institution has significantly decreased our percentage of diagnostic lobectomies, with a decreased resection rate of 26.5%.
The impact of suicide registers and other monitoring systems on suicide prevention: A scoping review
Authors: Nevarez Flores Adriana G , Martin Angela , Bartkowiak-Theron Isabelle , Makin Jennifer , Norris Kimberley , Castle David , Neil Amanda L
Published: July 2024

Background:

Decreasing suicide mortality has become an overarching goal for societies worldwide. Suicide registers and other monitoring systems are a valuable source of information that can be used for addressing the suicide phenomenon and evaluating preventative interventions.

Aims:

This scoping review provides an overview of literature published in the last decade that has focussed on the operations (functioning) and characteristics of suicide registers and other suicide monitoring systems.

Methods:

Four electronic databases were searched in 2020 for identifying published material from January 2010 to October 2020. The searches were updated in October 2023 to include material from 2020 to date. Grey literature through Google searches and mental health commissions websites and the reference lists of selected documents were also searched.

Results:

Twenty-five articles were included in this review. Nearly half the articles were from the United States, followed by Australia. Nine countries were identified as having used suicide registers or suicide-specific monitoring systems to inform suicide prevention. Monitoring mechanisms varied across the countries examined. No article provided evidence that definitively linked suicide registers or other monitoring systems for suicide with the prevention of suicide or reduction in suicide rates. However, a variety of benefits of suicide monitoring for preventative and public health interventions were identified.

Conclusions:

The number of nations with surveillance systems for suicide prevention is low. Further, there is a lack of consistency in the systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of suicide-related information across the countries examined. Efforts to establish high-quality suicide surveillance systems that can be accessed in a timely and easy manner are needed to inform tailored strategies for suicide prevention.
Carbon fibre detection in polymer composites reinforced by chopped carbon fibres through digital image processing and machine learning
Authors: Geier Norbert , Magyar Gergely , Giner Jakob , Lukács Tamás , Póka György
Published: July 2024

Mechanical and thermodynamical properties and thus machinability of carbon fibre reinforced polymer composites significantly depend on the fibre orientation relative to the load direction. However, the orientations of the fibre groups in polymer composites reinforced by chopped carbon fibres are stochastic; therefore, the properties and machinability of such composites are challenging to plan, predict and optimise. We developed four different and novel approaches for fibre detection in polymer composites reinforced by chopped carbon fibres: (i) detecting the fibres through naked eye supported manual drawing, (ii) digital image processing of optical images, (iii) machine learning-based fibre detection, and (iv) rectangle fitting on the outputs of the automated processes using the Chaudhuri and Samal method. The applicability of the novel approaches was tested through optically captured images of polymer composites reinforced by chopped carbon fibres. The developed methods are each capable of detecting fibre groups at the top and bottom of the composite plate with certain limitations. The rectangle fitting approaches performed the best from the point of view of correctly identifying of fibre groups, followed by the machine learning-based and the conventional digital image processed, respectively. As a result of this study, the machining process planning and condition monitoring of polymer composites reinforced by chopped carbon fibres is more deeply supported.
Dual influence of graphene oxide/clay and electron beam radiation on the structure, mechanical, thermal, and antimicrobial properties of nitrile butadiene rubber nanocomposite
Authors: El Mogy Soma A. , Eyssa Hanan Mohamed , Fathy Rasha Mohammad , Sanad Mahmoud Hamdi
Published: July 2024

Infective diseases are becoming more popular, and managing them has become a great worry for humanity. A rubber nanocomposite based on nitrile butadiene rubber with graphene oxide (NBR/GO) and GO/nanoclay (montmorillonite, MMT) (NBR/GO/MMT) was fabricated by a simple technique, roll milling. The synergistic influence of the existence of GO, clay, and electron beam (EB)-radiation on the NBR nanocomposites was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FT–IR) techniques to study the mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties. The antibacterial activity of the prepared rubber nanocomposites was estimated via the disk diffusion process against Gram-positive bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus lentus, and Gram-negative bacteria ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis. The results demonstrated that the physico-mechanical performance was significantly reinforced by incorporating nano GO (6 phr) and clay with GO (3 phr/6 phr. NBR films have no antibacterial potential. GO increases the antibacterial efficiency of the NBR films. NBR/3% GO/3% clay film is the most effective in reducing bacterial growth and B. subtilis was the most sensitive bacteria for rubber treatments. The inhibition zone diameters of the un-irradiated and irradiated NBR/3% GO/3% clay films for B. subtilis were 18.03 ± 0.59 and 25.63 ± 0.98 mm, respectively. It could be concluded that because of its outstanding flexibility and human-body compatibility penetration, rubber in corporation with antimicrobial agents can be utilized for manufacturing medical and environmental products.
Moral reasoning and support for punitive violence after crime
Authors: Baron Hannah , García-Ponce Omar , Olmos Camarillo Jorge , Young Lauren E , Zeitzoff Thomas
Published: July 2024

In contexts marked by high violence and widespread impunity, how do citizens articulate and justify their preferences about crime and punishment? What kind of moral logic and reasoning do they employ when discussing punishments? Does support for punitive punishment derive from moralistic and deontological concerns that perpetrators need to be punished because it is right and proper? Or do people support punitive punishments because they feel they are effective? To address this question, we document and analyze stated preferences for punishment in response to crime from 62 in-depth qualitative interviews with individuals affected by violence in the Mexican state of Michoacán. We conduct a quantitative analysis of how different forms of moral justifications are related to preferred punishments for specific crime events, and a qualitative content analysis to investigate possible mechanisms. We find that two types of moral reasoning are more likely to be used to justify punitive violence: (1) consequentialist reasoning which involves weighing the costs and benefits of an action; (2) and reasoning that dehumanizes accused criminals. Deontological justifications about the right or just action, while extremely common, are used fairly equally across arguments for and against punitive violence. Our study sheds light on the diverse moral frames employed to justify the endorsement of punitive violence.